Present in the Past
by LostKey
Summary: It was a normal hectic day, but that all changed when he was sent somewhere he never expected to be. Now how will he cope? What to do?
1. Chapter I

Sawada Tsunayoshi, otherwise known as Tsuna to those familiar with him, was a healthy man of twenty-one though his stature sometimes had people wondering if that were true. Currently, the man could not help but stare at the sight before him in clear disdain and annoyance. Once again, he was faced with an inordinate amount of paperwork stacked in neat high piles, with even more placed on the once clear coffee table. How in the world could his empty desk have transformed to such a monstrosity? He had only gone out to eat a small snack, a mere fifteen minutes! There was no way that this was humanly possible.

After another minute of staring, he let out a heavy sigh and went to his seat. Well, there went any ideas of having a relaxing afternoon all to himself. Tsunayoshi fell into his chair with a small thump and began the tedious task of reading, sorting, and signing papers. Seriously, he would not have agreed to this had he known that there would be so much paper work.

The amount was ridiculous. But why paper work you may ask? Well, it turns out that he was the lucky holder of the highest position of a greatly renowned business corporation. This company was otherwise known as the Vongola. With this elevation of status, were multitudes of responsibilities like overseeing business transactions and an avalanche of paper work.

The paperwork, by itself, usually left him tied to his desk for hours. Between that and regular meetings with his men and business partners, Tsunayoshi rarely had any time to himself. Sometimes, he was completely booked to the wee hours of dawn. This was definitely not how he envisioned his life of mediocrity to be.

He could not help but scoff as he signed a reimbursement form. Who was he kidding? This was probably as close to mediocrity as it was going to get. Hell, he was lucky that he was even alive. The corporation aspect was just a guise, a facade that hid a more sinister side that the business also partook in: the Mafia. Through a series of rather twisted luck, Tsunayoshi had been pronounced as the Tenth generational leader of the Vongola.

By no means was the mafia a make-believe fairy tale that parents told to scare children at night. It was every bit real and just as dangerous. Over the years of adolescence, he had paid dearly, learning just how treacherous it could be. Thankfully or luckily, he had the mentoring of his tutor, the infamous Arcobaleno, Reborn to get through most of it.

There were many things in those years that he had done that many would have deemed impossible and unbelievable. He had traveled to the future to protect the world from utter demise, defeating a Mafia family that had nearly annihilated the world. He also possessed the ability to use the dying-will flames. These flames were not something to be trifled as they had the capacity of causing massively destructive damage. The ability of the flame was greatly feared and admired by in battle, a tide turner in many fights. Suffice to say, he was not the only one with the coveted ability. His seven guardians, as well as many of his acquaintances possessed the skill as well.

Looking at the papers before him, Tsuna let out another sigh, wistfully thinking back to the beginning, before things got out of hand. He had remembered when they were all just students; where the most worrisome things were tests and getting the next assignment done. Back then, they simply enjoyed the daily routine of going to school and hanging out, peaceful and carefree.

However as time passed, he, as well as all of his friends, became further entrenched in the mafia. It was particularly after their trek to the future that he could say that they had all changed, less naive and innocent. They had a firsthand taste of reality and violence; the idea of dying lingered closely behind them.

Even though they returned home victorious, many had a hard time readjusting; especially the girls. He knew that even though they had tried very hard to hide it, the excursion left a deep mark. Kyoko no longer smiled as much as she used to while Haru seemed to become less talkative and more introspective. It was not noticeable to their family and friends, but he could see it when they thought no one was looking. It always made him guilty.

Though he tried to talk to them about it, they would simple brush it off and tell him not to worry. Through the rest of the school years, the two girls were constantly together. During that time, they were joined by Chrome as well. More than once, he had seen the three go off together into a café and, as they got older, to the bars. But they would never tell what they spoke of.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a flying projectile heading straight to his head. It was purely out of reflex that he caught the object, an apple. Tsunayoshi raised his brow before turning to the culprit who stood at the doorway, Reborn.

"You know, that could have knocked me out." admonished the brunette with a mild glare. He placed the fruit onto the cluttered table and stretched, "Though that would probably have gotten me at least a hour of extra sleep."

"A shame you caught it," said Reborn smirking at the male's train of thought, "Next time, Dame-Tsuna."

Tsunayoshi could only roll his eyes at the infant. The two had gone a long way together, creating a bond solely based on trust and belief in one another. Granted, the road to achieving this point was filled with plenty of protest and more explosions than Tsuna could possibly count. However, the brunette would be a fool to say that he had not learned a great deal from the Arcobaleno.

"Get back to work. The papers aren't going to finish themselves," ordered the hit-man. And with a quick flick, aimed a pen at the young man who winced in pain at the impact, "We do not need day dreamers."

The infant then grabbed a file from the coffee table and seated himself on a sofa, browsing through the information.

Tsunayoshi glared at him before reluctantly going back to his paperwork. "It never ends," muttered the brunette in annoyance. He already gone through a fourth of the monster of a heap, but it looked as if it hadn't lessened a bit. The brunette bit back the urge to use some swears he heard from Gokudera, his storm guardian.

However, he knew better than to say them in front of Reborn. Who knew what would happen? He, for one, did not care to find out. In the end, the two sat in a comfortable silence that was broken only by the quiet shuffling of paper and the scribbling of a pen. After a couple more reports, Tsuna was interrupted by the sound of a chuckle. That did not bode well.

He looked up from the papers and observed Reborn, who had pulled up another file to read, "The two that you sent to China are coming back."

"Already?" groaned the Vongola in annoyance, "I thought it would have kept them busy for at least another week!"

Reborn put down the report and began stroking Leon, "You, of all people, should know better than that, given their reputation with each other. I'm surprised that there were only so little casualties."

Tsuna rolled his eyes at the comment before taking a bite out of the neglected apple, "It sounds like they were probably concentrating on trying to kill each other than on the mission."

"You're at fault for pairing the two together."

"I had no choice, it had to be Mukuro and Hibari or else I would have needed to send the Var-"

The door banged open, revealing two preteens, Lambo and I-pin.

"TSUNA-NII!" shouted Lambo with an ecstatic grin as he held a rather upgrade bazooka in hand, "Giannini made new modifications!"

"Lambo! They're busy right now!" cried I-Pin. She tried to grab and drag Lambo out, much to the boy's dismay. "No! I want to show this to Tsuna-nii."

In his fight to get out of I-Pins clutches, the boy accidentally pulled the trigger causing a shot aimed directly at Tsuna. Upon impact, a great burst of blue smoke erupted, leaving the occupants in the room coughing. As Reborn cleared the smog around him, he could not help but feel a sense of foreboding, something was not right. He quickly moved to where the Vongola Boss had sat, only to find the seat was empty of the man. Clearly this was not just a trek to the future. Just where did the brunette get sent to? The hitman cursed quietly before turning to the two kids.

"Where's the weapon?" he asked angrily. Lambo and I-pin traded fearful looks before pointing at the altered bazooka on the ground. As Reborn moved to pick it up, the item began to crumble into pieces. What in the world was going on?

"What's going on? We heard an explosion." asked Gokudera from the door way trying to clear away the smoke that still lingered in the room. Behind him were Yamamoto and Ryohei. They had just returned from a small meeting with another family. Having heard the sound of a tell-tale bazooka, the three came to check.

"The idiot cow fired the new weapon," muttered Reborn, his facial expression covered by his hat, "It hit Tsuna."

Gokudera frowned, "So we just wait five minutes and he'll be back right?" Reborn did not reply. Yamamoto and Ryohei traded worried looks.

Suddenly Giannini came running in looking extremely panicked "Lambo, where is the bazooka I gave you? I need it back. That wasn't the one you were supposed to get. That one was a prototype!"

Reborn turned towards Giannini, "Where does it send the person?"

Giannini frowned worriedly before replying "The settings were not made yet. I don't know."

Meanwhile, the missing brunette was taking a rather wary look at his surroundings. Something was off about the place he current was in, really off. Though he was sure that he was still in Italy, many of the shops looked unfamiliar and rather old. After but a moment of hesitation he began walking, melding into the crowd of people.

At least he did not have to think about paper work for five minutes. He might look around and relax. He still held his apple which was only partially eaten and took another bite. As he walked, he began to notice that the people around him wore a style of clothing that was similar his time yet it seemed different for some reason. Their appearance and facial expressions were also more concealed and cautious, as if expecting trouble to jump out to get them.

Ignoring the knot that was forming in his stomach, he took another bite out of his apple. Everything will turn out fine. He had only two more minutes of walking before it was time to return. It was when he noticed something on a bench that made him pause, a discarded newspaper. He looked around; nobody was claiming it.

His curiosity got the better of him as he sat on the bench and took a look brief look at the front page. Upon what was written, he gaped; the apple he held fell out of his hand with a solid thump. He was not in the future.

He was in the past.

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Hello, this story still has no plot so it will take time to develop. :T However, I hope you will enjoy it as it comes into place. Feel free to comment and critique as you please.

(Don't hold rights to actual manga or anime) Edit, 2012


	2. Chapter II

Tsunayoshi let the newspaper drop limply back to onto the bench as he tried to digest the information. He simply could not believe his sudden predicament. The past of all places! It was no wonder everything seemed so old fashioned yet strangely new.

He closed his eyes as an impending headache threatened to take root. When he found himself in the future, which happened more often than he cared for it to occur, there were an ample amount of choices to amuse him with.

Sometimes, he would just sit around with one of his guardians or maybe Reborn. They would talk about miscellaneous things since there was no way he could do the paperwork with his lack of knowledge for what was happening.

Other times, he would find himself in the company of the Varia. Those encounters, however, were far from pleasant. He winced as his most recent memory sprung unbidden to his mind. Xanxus had been in a rage about something that the Cavollone had let slip and decided to take his anger out at him of all people. He had almost died that time.

But here, he knew of no one to go to for help, knew of no place to stay. His mood was further dampened by the fact that he had yet to be sent back to his own time. Five minutes had long since passed. It was safe to say that he was stranded and alone.

He quelled the sudden urge to revert back to his teenage habit and scream for help, exhaling heavily. It would do him no good to have a panic attack in unknown territory. Reborn would never let him live it down if he were to ever find out and knowing that man, he would.

He sat on the bench, glumly observing the people bustling around. He could not stop the self-deprecating thoughts from entering his mind. Of course he would be caught in such a situation. Things had been too peaceful the past couple of weeks: no excessive papers, no property damage, no problems with any other families, nothing. He honestly should have expected something like this.

And just what had Gianni done to that blasted contraption? Was this supposed to happen or was it, perhaps, a malfunction? Regardless of what the inventor had in mind, it was becoming very clear that they needed to have a talk, a very long talk. In fact, the moment he returned, Gianni would be the first he would have a chat with. Any other meetings could wait.

For now, he would have to make a plan to survive here. Frowning at that thought, he looked up at the sky to find that it had darkened dramatically. He needed to figure it out soon as time was clearly not on his side. Most of his ideas were trashed the moment they surfaced his mind.

But even if he were to get a job, he would still have needed a place to stay. Not only that, his appearance would strike up a lot of suspicion considering his attire. A frustrated growl escaped him before he abruptly got up, not noticing the startled looks of some of the people passing by. He might as well try looking for something to work with.

He was quick to find that his attempts were rather unproductive.

"I already have enough helpers" answered the elderly baker, regretfully. The man pointed to two young teens moving in the dried racks. "I can only afford having them."

Shaking his head, Tsunayoshi gave a small smile, "No, thank you for your time, sir." He quickly bid the man goodnight before continuing to walk once more.

He already lost count of how many times he tried and was contemplating thoughts of just sleeping out in the open. He passed by many shops, most of which were closed. His attempts for shelter were met with great suspicion and, at some occasions, completely ignored.

He had first tried to see if he could stay at any of the inns or hotels around, but what money he had was virtually unusable and rejected. While he should have known that from the start, he could not help to try on some slim hope that they would accept it.

So caught up in his thought, the brunette was almost sent flying as he was turning a corner. Luckily, he managed to stay standing, only stumbling a couple steps. He glanced at the cause of his misstep and was surprised to see that it was only a teen. However, at a closer inspection, the teen looked oddly familiar. But it just couldn't be.

"Lambo? What are you doing here?" asked Tsunayoshi in confusion, holding out a hand to help the teen up, "I thought it only hit me?"

'Lambo' stared at the Vongola equally confused before rudely pushing away the offered hand, "I am the one and only Malop!" answered the lookalike pompously, "And I don't need your help."

The brunette resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the teen's comment. Was this really not Lampo? The kid even spoke like him! Only when he looked closer did he notice the more subtle differences that marked him as someone else.

For one, this Lampo lookalike had lighter color hair that were not as unruly as his Lightning guardian's had been. Also under the teen's eye was not a number sign but rather a mark shaped like a lightning bolt.

He shook his head and sighed, "I'm sorry," he apologized, scratching his head sheepishly, "I had mistaken you for someone I know."

Malop gave a miffed huff, "Who are you, huh?" demanded the teen, jabbing a finger at the brunette. "I have never seen you before."

Tsunayoshi frowned for a moment as he pondered what to say. He had been planning to just tell the teen his full name, but now that he thought about it, it didn't seem like a good idea. People already reacted badly as soon as they realized that he was a foreigner.

He sighed once more, increasingly confusing Malop who was beginning to think that perhaps he shouldn't have spoken to the stranger at all. The teen began to open his mouth to speak, only to snap it shut as he heard the sounds of heavy running footsteps and shouts echoing through the strangely empty streets.

Tsunayoshi turned to the direction of the sounds, missing how pale Malob suddenly became. But before he could even register what he was seeing, he found himself being yanked into a run by the teen, flying down the blocks. What in the world was going on?

"Come on, we need to get out of here!" rushed Malop as they ran. "Those guys are bad news!"

The Vongola Boss frowned at the urgency in the teen's voice. Just who were these people they were running away from? He got his answer as they turned a corner and he managed a quick glance back. His eyes narrowed at the sight. Mafia men. Most, if not all, were holding a weapon. What the hell did this teen do to get involved with these men?

They ran for quite some time and it was only after they slipped into a dark alleyway that they slowed to stop. Malop was panting in exhaustion, leaning against the bricked wall with eyes closed. Tsunayoshi fared a bit better, having been only slightly winded from the run.

He immediately turned to look at the teen intent on getting his answer. "Those were Mafia," he accused quietly, eyeing the teen critically, "Why are they after a kid like you?"

Malop glared at him before looking away, crossing his arms defensively. "I don't know! They just started to chase me…"

Tsunayoshi knew the tell tale fidget of a lie when he saw one, especially since the teen was doing a poor job concealing it from his face. "You are lying to me." The boy stiffened in surprise. "They want something for you."

The Vongola waited silently for a reply. In a way, it was similar to the way Lambo acted when he was caught playing around with things he was not suppose to touch. That was why he had a feeling that he had said was true. It was only a matter of whether or not the teen would trust him enough to tell the finer details.

Now Malop was in quite the dilemma. He snuck another glance at the man before him, weighing his options. While this strangely dressed man exuded an air of harmlessness, Malop felt that there was something more to his outer appearance.

He honestly could not shake off the idea that it was all just an act. He did not know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Even if he tried to run away, chances were that the man would follow him, considering how well the man kept up with his pace before.

Hell, he didn't even look tired! And it wasn't that he usually took to dragging people along with him. No, he usually steered clear of civilians. But for some reason, Malop felt completely at ease with the man before him, as if whatever he told the man he could trust, which was crazy.

After another moment, Malop made his decision. He hoped that it was the right one. "I'm part of a Mafia family," Began the teen slowly, showing a rather familiar looking ring, "Those men chasing us want to take this from me."

Tsunayoshi's eyes widened in surprise at what the teen said. Never mind the claim that he was in the Mafia. That ring. That was the Vongola Ring, the same ring that Lambo had. Has.

Malop mistook the brunette's surprise as disbelief for him being in the Mafia and immediately tried to reason with the man, "I'm not joking, serious," said the teen with a prideful glint in his eyes, "And we are not all bad guys!"

"I believe you," said the brunette calmly, mind still reeling from the appearance of the ring, "You just seem a bit young…"

"And if you don't believe me, wait. What?" stumbled Malop. There surprise was evident on his face at the rather quick agreement, "Did I just hear you right?"

Tsunayoshi looked at the teen in amusement, before gesturing at the ring, "Why are they after your ring?"

"I don't know," said Malop shrugging, using his other hand to cover his ring. There was a determined scowl on the teen's face, "But this ring is a treasure gift of mine and I'm not going to let them take it from me."

Tsunayoshi could not help but let the small smile slip at the protectiveness the teen was displaying for the ring. Before he even comprehended what he was doing, he was already ruffling the teen's head. Malop twitched in surprise before jumping away from the brunette, patting his hair for anything suspicious.

"What was that for?" muttered Malop indignantly, looking very peeved and embarrassed with how he was being treated, "I'm not a kid!"

The Vongola boss chuckled at the reaction, "Sorry, You remind me of someone that that I know."

At the teen's questioning stare, Tsunayoshi shook his head in amusement and continued, "Coincidentally, he also had a ring that he treasured since, to him, it symbolized acceptance and family.

"I have a feeling that it has the same meaning to you as well," he remarked gently. A small smile twitching into place as Malop did not hide his surprise, gapping at the mysterious man. How did he know?

However, before the teen could bother to ask, a deep snarl had the two males turning to the entrance of the alleyway in surprise.

"You-"

"We found you, brat."

Tsunayoshi narrowed his eyes as he analyzed the group of six that was slowly surrounding them. What were the chances that they would be able to get out of this unscathed? Malop had been showing signs of fatigue so he doubted that they could run that far even if they were to escape. He was surprised and touched when Malop suddenly put himself before him in an effort to protect him.

"You sure gave us a run, but we got you trapped," sneered one of the men, eyeing the potential prey with a particularly nasty look, "Now hand it over."

Malop let out a curse under his breath, internally regretting the lack of care he had shown when he was being shown fighting techniques. He should have tried harder. He placed himself in front of the brunette, determined to protect. It was his fault that he got him involved. He eyed the men warily. Each carried a wickedly sharp knife, having forming a semi circle around the two, leaving no means of escape.

The one who had spoken earlier, stepped closer to them and gave a leer, "Hand over the ring, kid and we might let you and you're little friend live."

Malop only glared, "Never." After another thought the teen stuck out his tongue, "Especially not to an ugly mug like you!"

The man twitched in annoyance, "You'll regret that, brat." snarled the man, his intent clear as he made a swing at Malop, "I'll teach you to mess with me."

The teen grimaced and braced for the impact, eyes clenched shut. However, after a few seconds…Nothing happened. No pain, no blood. What was going on? Malop opened his eyes, and could not help a sharp gasp at what he saw. There, holding back the man's wrist was the wimpy looking brunette. And from the looks of it, the bigger man was unable to budge his arm at all, not a single bit. How was he able to do it so effortlessly? The other men watched on in equal stupor as their leader was held back without even the slightest sign of any difficulty.

"You are not to touch him," said Tsunayoshi coldly, tightening his hold even more, "Leave."

He was not a happy man. Thankfully, he had his back turned to Malop; else the teen would have recoiled. The brunette's usual warm and kind eyes were narrowed into an unforgiving icy glare that sent chills up the spines of the men facing him. The small smile had dropped into an angry grim line that clearly showed his displeasure. And while Malop could not see Tsunayoshi's face, the tone was enough to make the teen flinch. It was a startling contrast from before, so commanding and sharp. It was a tad bit scary, not that Malop would admit such a thing.

The leader of the group was the first to shake away the shock and sneered in contempt. "So you think you stand a chance against all of us?"

Tsunayoshi internally scoffed at the question, calmly answering with a slight smirk. "Against your type of people? Of course."

"Fool, who do you think you are?" snarled the man, anger finally getting the better of the leader, "I'll kill you."

The man did not notice or decided not to pay any heed to the clear warning shown on Tsunayoshi's face, which in his opinion was a poor choice. The leader aimed his free fist towards the brunette's body with the intent of breaking him. Who did this scrawny brown hair guy think he was? He was going to teach him a lesson in messing with the Mafia.

Malop gave a shout of distress, unknowingly showing panic for the brown hair man. However his regret was for naught. The hit never connected, did not even get close to touching. The man crumpled to the ground before he even realized what happened. With a simple brute but efficient blow to the head, Tsunayoshi knocked the leader down.

He could not help but give a disdainful sniff at the lack of skill the leader possessed. This was child's play compared to what he experienced on a daily basis with his fellow guardians and friends alike. At first, there was silence as the subordinates stared in shock. However, that shock was quickly replaced with rage as Tsunayoshi turned to them. How dare he do such a thing! They all rushed towards Tsunayoshi, knives aimed to kill.

Tsunayoshi frowned. He had hoped that they would have been smart enough to run when they had the chance. Did they think that because there were more of them that they would be able to swarm him? Either they were blind or stupid. This was going to be then it would be their loss.

The brunette crouched into a more comfortable position, bracing himself for the all out brawl. With relative ease, he dispatched each and every one of them, careful to avoid outright killing them. Really, compared to the people he normally fought, these men were highly unorganized and un-agile, definitely not worth the time.

Malop could only watch on in shock. He knew these men were definitely strong. Yet, here was a man, who stood only a couple inches past their shoulders, trouncing them like they were nothing but novices. Not even a full five minutes passed before they were all completely down. He had a feeling that this man was not even use all of his strength. Just how strong was he? As Tsunayoshi turned back to the teen, Malop could not help but blurt out, "Who the hell are you?"

Tsunayoshi only gave a small smile.

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Edit 2012


	3. Chapter III

I want to thank you all who reviewed. I am extremely grateful for the feed back! :D Also I want to thank the people who took the time to tell me the names of the first guardians~! Thank you! I hope you all enjoy the next chapter!

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Somehow, I managed to change the anagram name to the original name...however; it's a bit of a corny method. Hopefully, it flows! Enjoy

Malob asked once again, eying the stranger before him with renewed suspicion, "Well? Who are you? How in the world did you just beat them? Why-"

The teen was interrupted by a chuckle. Malob eyed the brunette suspiciously. The cold exterior that had graced the brunette's face had slipped away, as if it were never there in the first place. Instead, there was only a smile, "Slow down, I can only answer one question at a time. However, before that, we should get away from here. I only knocked them unconscious." said Tsuna beckoning the teen to follow him out the alleyway.

Malob glowered in annoyance, but complied. He trailed the man as quickly as his tired body could go. After a few minutes, Malob stopped and crossed his arms. He glared as the man turned to him question. "Now answer. Who are you?" demanded Malob. He wanted an answer.

Tsuna could not help but chuckle at the childish sight but relented "My name is Tsunayoshi, but you can just call me Tsuna for short."

Malob frowned, "Tsuna? That doesn't sound Italian. Are you a foreigner or something?"

Tsuna nodded, "Along that line. I was originally from Japan."

Malob blinked in surprised, "You're very fluent for a foreigner."

Tsuna could not decide whether to laugh or shudder. In the end he simply shrugged, "Let's just say that I had a rather… overly enthusiastic tutor had a streak for drastic life threatening methods of teaching. Believe me, he is someone you would never ever want as a teacher."

Malob could not help but crack a small grin which he hastily hid. He continued on, asking another question, "So how do you know how to fight like that? You're pretty strong."

Tsuna gave a small smile, his eyes flickered with emotions Malob could not quite place, "…I guess, you can say that I have been in unfavorable situations that required me to learn to fight."

Malob frowned. This conversation was going nowhere. All the teen knew was that this man was Tsuna and that he had a crazy tutor and that he could fight. He seemed like he could be trusted. But he would have to see.

"So, what do you mean by unfavorable?" asked Malob, as they walked past another block.

Tsuna shrugged, reluctant to answer. That was, until he noticed the teen's suspicion. He paused and sighed, turning to face the teen. Said teen furrowed his brow and backed away slightly, ready to run if necessary.

Tsuna raised his brow but did not move from his position, "Would it be strange to say that I also had some run-ins with people similar to those we just met?" asked the brunette quietly.

Malob's eyes widened at the answer the brunette gave him. Was this man implying that he was part of the mafia? That couldn't be, right? He began backing away from Tsuna who frowned, worry etched on his face. Then everything that this man could might as well be a lie.

Malob pointed an accusing finger towards Tsuna, "You…You're with them right?"

Tsuna furrowed his brow in confusion, "Wait, No Malob. Let me explain." Malob did not even bother to look back, breaking into a run.

Tsuna ran after the teen, "Malob! Come back!" shouted the brunette.

Malob refused to halt, running blindly through the dark street night, a feeling of betrayal stinging in his heart. How could he have been so dense and let this random person earn a bit of his trust? He was such an idiot!

In his rush, he did not realize that someone other than Tsuna was tailing him, until it was too late. As he made a turn, he was pulled by the back of his shirt and shoved into a deserted alleyway.

"I got you." Well, shit. Malob could feel his insides freeze with dread as he realized just who it was. Not again. It was those men.

He was grabbed by the neck and slammed into the brick wall. He was now face to face with the leader, the one that had been knocked out by Tsuna. Though the man's face was definitely bloodied up by Tsuna, it only served to make him look more intimidating.

Malob was all alone, outnumbered six to one. It didn't help that he had been caught in a rather unpleasant position. "Let me GO. You Bastard-!" Malob's head reeled to the side from the punch. He could feel immediately immense pain spreading from the side of his face. The coppery taste of blood dribbled out of his mouth.

The leader sneered, "Not so strong without you're little friend aren't you?"

Malob glared at the man, "Wasn't that little friend one of your men?" shouted Malob. The leader sneered before striking Rampou across the face, "Do not associate me with that man!"

Malob's eyes widened as a dreadful realization occurred to him. He had misjudged the brunette.

The leader smirked, "You are not getting away this time." With that said, the leader signaled two of his men to hold the teen down. As Malob realized just what they were going for, he began struggling fiercely. "NO! You can't have it!"

But it was futile. He was completely drained from the constant running. With relative ease, the ring slipped off and Malob could only look on helplessly as the smirking man tossed the ring up and down in triumph. Damn them all.

The man laughed at the look of anguish that plagued the teens eye, "You guys can do what you please with him but remember to dispose of the kid. I will see you guys later."

The goons traded looks of glee. Finally, they could take out some of their excess stress. The leader laughed once again before leaving Malob to whims of the men, walking out of sight.

Malob glared at the men before him hatefully. While he tried desperately to put up a brave front, deep inside he was shaking with pent up fear, anger, and despair. How was he going to get out of this one? Was this really the end?

One of the men that was standing before Malob began cracking his knuckles impatiently. "Why don't we break each and every single one of his bones" he suggested with a leer.

With nary a warning he punched Malob in the gut. Malob could only yell in surprise and pain before falling to the ground, no longer propped up by the men. Another man kicked Malob making him bang back into the side wall. Though there was no sound of a crack, the impact left Malob stunned, he was beginning to see stars.

The group jeered at the teen, "How bout we cut those fingers off, one by one." There was another round of laughter.

However they were stopped by an icy remark. "How about you move away from him?"

The men turned to the source of the voice and could not help but flinch in surprise. Malob forced himself to sit up and look towards the voice. It was not a wonder that the men didn't turn tail and flee. Standing before them was Tsuna. However, gone was the warm gaze and small smiles. In place of that was a frosty glare, an aura of coldness that greatly increased from the last time. "Was the first lesson not clear enough?"

One of the lackeys glared at Tsuna in sudden realization, "YOU! You'll pay for what you did to us!"

The others shouted their agreement and charged at Tsuna. Malob was forgotten as the men in favor of a bigger fish. Tsuna glare furiously at the oncoming assault and charged at them head on. The lackeys were running into a losing battle. He had been wrong in the beginning to let these men go down so simply.

Once again, Malob was saved by the brunette. He could not help but feel completely at ease and safe, reassured by the simple presence of Tsuna. This feeling reminded him of someone else in particular as well. As Malob looked closer at the strange man, he could also notice similar physical looks. Maybe they were related? But that was impossible…

Meanwhile, Tsuna who was turned away from Malob looked at the men with a frown. The men were all dispatched, some of them were injured in such a way that it was unlikely from them to ever be able to continue in the mafia, a disgrace. Really, were these people stupid to not realize it? Also how dare they do such a hideous thing, torturing a kid?

It had been a while since he had gotten this angry making it harder for him to calm himself down, but after a moment he was able to regain a semblance of his usual nature. What a day this was turning out to be. He usually never lost his temper; maybe it was due to the fact that the teen reminded him of Lambo that made him lose his grip.

He was brought out of his thoughts by a quiet gasp of pain. He quickly turned to Malob, moving to help the injured teen up. "Are you all right? I'm sorry that I wasn't able to get here on time to prevent this, I got into a detour," said Tsuna, worry evident in his features.

Malob gave a small frown, "Why?" he asked, a look of wonder on his face.

Tsuna scrunched his brows in confusion, "Why what?"

Malob made a gesture towards the unmoving figures around them, "Why are you going so far for a stranger like me? Why are you helping me?"

When Tsuna made sure that Malob was going to be alright, he gave a small laugh, "The answer to that is simple. Malob whether you believe me or not is your choice and your choice alone. For me, it is my nature to protect people. I was trying to explain that to you but you ran."

They began to walk again, this time Malob was leading. It was a rather tense silence, not uncomfortable, but tense nevertheless. After a while of walking, Tsuna commented quietly, "For a teen, you run really fast. I actually had a hard time keeping up with you."

Malob could not help but blush a bit at the compliment, a small grin lit up his face. Tsuna smiled, "There you go. That's the Malob, I expected to see."

Malob looked away before quietly muttering, "Rampou."

Tsuna frowned, pausing in mid walk "Excuse me?"

Malob avert his eyes, "My name is Rampou, not Malob. Malob is my fake name."

Tsuna raised his brow in mild surprise. "Hm, then, it is a pleasure to meet you Rampou," greeted the brunette with a smile. Rampou quickly faced the man in shock. This guy seemed completely at ease with the idea of his name being a false identity and he could not help but feel relieved, "Well Rampou, I have something for you."

Rampou frowned in wonder, "What is it?"

Tsuna gave a secretive smile and reached into his pocket, "Hold out your hand."

Hesitantly, the teen opened his head and Tsuna placed something in his palm. When he revealed it, Rampou could feel his jaw drop in complete shock. It was his ring! "How did you-!"

Tsuna ushered the teen to continue to walk. "It just so happen that after I lost you for a moment, I found the man walking away throwing a rather familiar ring, your ring, and decided to tail him. I was only able to get the ring in when I heard you. That's the abbreviated summary of it. Hey-Woah!"

Rampou tackled him, hugging him with what seemed to be everything he had. "Thank you for so much." Said the teen quietly.

Tsuna smiled softly, patting the teen on the back the way he did to Lambo.

The sweet moment was broken by a suddenly yell of insane fury. It was the leader, who looked completely consumed with rage. In his hand was a knife aimed at Rampou. "I'm going to kill you!"

Rampou didn't even have time to react. "Watch out!" yelled Tsuna in panic, pushing the teen away, only feel a slice of steel intruding into his body. Ignoring the throbbing pain, Tsuna grasped the man's arm with one hand before smashing the man's head with his other hand. The leader's eyes rolled up and he simply dropped to the floor, dead. Tsuna glared at the dead man before wobbling.

Rampou gave a cry of distress as Tsuna sank to the floor while holding onto his wounded side. The brunette took the knife taken out and tossed onto the ground. A part of Tsuna's mind was quick to analytically observe his state. He was losing too much blood, too fast. If it wasn't closed soon rather than later, he would die. Another part of his mind wanted to reassure Rampou that he was going to be alright, that he was going to live. However everything was starting to get hazy.

"Tsuna! Tsuna! Don't die!" yelled Rampou frantically trying to apply pressure to the wound to stop some of the flow.

Tsuna's vision was starting to dim though he fought to keep his eyes open. He dimly heard Rampou continue to yell and then another voice that sounded strangely familiar. The last thing he saw was a bright warm yellow flame. Then everything was black.

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Was it to your taste? Feel free to give any feedback~!

[Personally, I think it was rushed and I really had no idea what to put in it since I'm planning this as I'm writing] Oh well. I hope it was enjoyable : )


	4. Chapter IV

Ah~! I want to thank everybody for taking their time to review! Thank You! Here is the next chapter, albeit boring. However, the next chapter will definitely be more interesting...if I can figure out how to portray them correctly. My fears are coming to light! They are becoming OC! i_i

I am assuming that Knuckle-Ryohei...was a priest from what I get in Chapter 269. It says that Knuckle was a boxing champion but after an incident where killed the opponent, he withdrew from the boxing world. Instead he went into the service of god. o. o (Changed the name knuckle...I totally forgot to check for the name, my fault.)

Forgive me if I use some words in the wrong context. Also, I decided to make the time line for the first generation to be around the 1800s. The Vongola starting 400 years ago doesn't make sense...since the clothing that they wear is similar to the Victorian era style. But that's just my opinion. Electricity exists during this time!

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Tsuna opened slowly his eyes and looked around blearily. He was in a dimly lit room. Wait, when did he get here? The only light was a small lamp on a desk towards his side. As he moved to sit up he let out a tired groan.

He was in a rather small but spacious room; the bed was positioned in the corner giving him a complete view of the room. A few feet away from the bed was a small mahogany writing desk accompanied by a cushioned chair, the table, flushed against a wide window was covered by a deep red orange curtain with yellow-gold trimmings.

There were two doors; one that was close to the bed, he assumed led to the bathroom while the other, next to a small closet, to the hallways. The floor was covered with a dark crimson rug. All in all, it was a simple room made more for comfort than anything else, much better than the one he had back in his time. Really, half the things in his 'room' were useless and way too gaudy for his liking. Heck, if he were given a chance to remodel that place he would have thrown everything out except the bed. He should talk to Reborn about that sometime.

However, this was not the time to think about his room. Judging by how warm the bed he was currently sitting on, he guessed a good while. He frowned; a bit sleep still clinging to him like water. After another moment, he got up off the bed and peered through the side of the curtain of the window. He could not help but raise his brow in surprise. So he somehow made it to the Vongola mansion. How he recognized this was what he saw outside.

The window allowed him a second floor view of the grassy courtyard lighted up by the moonlight. It was almost an exact replication with the exception of some trees that have not yet grown to the height that it reached in his time. The design of the courtyard was completely the same; the same walkways and paths, the regal fountain at the center, the bushes.

He leaned against the wall, continuing to look outside, unconsciously storing the image in his mind out of habit. There were slight changes in his time; the benches here looked new and glossy. If he remembered correctly, they had to replace those because of the wear over time. Also, the sides surrounding the courtyard lacked the ivy that had grown over the years. Nevertheless, the similarities were glaring.

But the question was, how did he end up here? If he remembered correctly, he had met a boy by the named Malob, no, wait, Rampou. Where was the kid? Did something bad happen to him? Then he remembered helping Rampou get away from the men and… chasing after the Rampou a second time. Then what happened? Oh, he ended up taking a knife wound to his side. As if to react that thought, he felt a small throb of pain. Tsuna quickly checked the injury.

Though there was dried blood caking on his skin, the wound was practically closed and definitely smaller. Surprisingly, a thin layer of skin was already over the knife wound. He touched the wound lightly and winced when he felt a small throb of pain. However, the skin did not break away.

He was surprised by the speed of recovery. Then again, he was surprised that the wound was even closed to begin with. How was this even possible? He was pretty sure that the amount of time that he was unconscious couldn't have been that long. How this phenomenon was was probable...Unless? He gave a small frown, digging through his memory. If he remembered correctly, he did see a yellow flame before he blacked out. He raised his brow, well if Rampou was here, was it possible that he was here as well?

As if to answer his question, the door opened to reveal a man that he definitely wasn't expecting. The man looked surprised, albeit for different reasons. To Tsuna, the man was the splitting image of Ryohei, however his hair was a dark ebony crimson, definitely darker than Irie's hair. There was no scar on the side of this man's face but the similarities were uncanny. If Tsuna remembered correctly, the Ryohei look alike was dressed in something akin to a pulpit…So he was a minster or priest of some sort?

The look-alike closed the door behind him quietly and turned to face Tsuna. In his hand he held bandages, medicine, and some other medical supplies. After a moment of silence, the man spoke, "I'm surprised that you're awake after suffering from such a wound. Most people would be out for days even if I close the wound."

Tsuna shrugged and offered a small smile "Well, I've been told that I have a rather high pain tolerance."

The man chuckled before offering the things in his hands. "Since you're awake I guess I won't have to worry about hurting you by accident. Can you bandage yourself?"

Tsuna nodded and chuckled accepting the medical supplies, "Yes. Thank you," said the brunette with a smile.

As Tsuna set the items on the table, the man held out his hand, "My name is Knuckle. If you're wondering where you are; this is the home of one of my closest friends." Tsuna shook the man's hand firmly; he could feel the callousness that was probably caused by extensive workouts, a fighter.

Tsuna gave a small knowing smile, unnoticed by Knuckle, "Then I am grateful for the hospitality. When will I have to chance to meet and thank him?"

Knuckle grinned "Tomorrow, most likely. After all, we would also like to thank you for helping one of ours. You definitely have my thanks."

Tsuna gave a small blush at the sudden compliment, "It was nothing. I just…got lucky. We just happen to meet at the same place at the same time."

Knuckle chuckled at the modesty the person before him was showing, "You're a nice fellow. AMEN to that!"

Tsuna could not help but raise his brow at the emphasis. Just like Ryohei. Maybe if they met… He was interrupted from his thoughts, "Say, what is your name? I don't believe I caught it."

"Ah, my apologies… You can just call me Tsuna," said the brunette as he looked through the supplies.

Knuckle raised his brow in mild surprise, "Are you a foreigner?" Tsuna nodded while beginning to clean his side with a wet cloth that he found amongst the medical stuff.

"You speak pretty well. I almost thought you were born here," complimented Knuckle.

Tsuna gave a small laugh, "I get that a lot, but it's really thanks to my tutor that I can even speak to this degree. By the way, the boy, Rampou was it? Is he alright?"

Knuckle nodded, pleased by the concern Tsuna shown, "The kid's just tired from all that running. His injuries were healed just fine."

Tsuna gave a sigh of relief and smiled. So he was safe then. "That is wonderful news." They drifted into silence as Tsuna devoted his attention to cleaning up the wound. Knuckle observed the man before him with mild skepticism.

Did this man really beat all of those men? This man did not look at all like a fighter. When he first found the two, the man looked close to death. Though he closed the wound with his flame, he did not expect the brunette to survive. But here he was, alive and surprisingly awake.

Another thing was Rampou. To Knuckle's surprise, Rampou actually wanted to stay at the man's side and was rather adamant about it. This was strange in itself considering Rampou's usual attitude towards anybody new. But after much persuasion, Knuckle convinced him to sleep first, leaving him to watch after the man. This whole event made Knuckle was curious. Why was Rampou so attached to this man?

Knuckle just didn't understand why. Maybe he could pry something out of this man, "I heard from that little tyke that you single-handedly beat all of those men there. When I arrived, all of them were completely down and out. You must have been really something!" he commented.

Tsuna laughed awkwardly, slowly bandaging his side "Well, they were clumsy and big so it wasn't that hard to get away from their attacks. It also helped that they underestimated me. Most people do that anyway. I guess it worked to my advantage." Knuckle raised his brow but knew that this was probably all that he was going to get out of the brunette at this moment.

Tsuna was just about done with the bandages. He was rather thankful that it had been drilled into him earlier in his life. It was actually useful. After another moment, he placed all the supplies back together. With that done, he returned the items to Knuckle, "Thank you," said Tsuna with a small smile of gratitude.

Knuckle smiled, "I think you should sleep for now. Tomorrow's going to be a rather hectic day for you. I believe you will need all the rest you can get."

Tsuna nodded and watched as Knuckle turned to leave the room, "There should be a change of clothes in the bathroom over there by the way," added the man as he opened the door.

"Alright, Knuckle. Thank you again…and good night," said Tsuna.

Knuckle waved his hand without turning, closing the door behind him with a quiet thud. Tsuna eyed the door for a moment before flopping onto the bed with a groan of exhaustion.

He looked up into the blank ceiling. So far he could safely say that had met two guardians, Rampou and Knuckle. He had glimpsed a familiar shine on the Knuckle's right hand and was pretty certain that the man possessed the sun ring. He was now absolutely positive that he was stuck in the time of the First Generation. Though some of the characteristics were varying, the appearances were uncanny, differing only to a slight degree.

Surprisingly, neither Rampou nor Knuckle seemed to have noticed the ring he possessed. Maybe they overlooked it since he had two rings on the same hand; Lancia-san's and the Vongola ring. He raised the hand that held the two rings to his sight. Many thoughts were racing through his head. How was he going to get home? Was he going to be stuck here forever? How were his people coping without him? All these worrisome questions were making his brain fray. He groaned again. Why was life always so troublesome?

Nevertheless…he would worry about it tomorrow. He could not help but let a sense of curiosity take over him. Tomorrow he was going to meet the rest of them as Knuckle said. Tomorrow, he will see the creator of the Vongola.

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I hope you enjoyed and if not, I hope you will like the next chapter! D: Feel free to comment! : )


	5. Chapter V

I'm so sorry~! I was planning to update earlier but I was bombarded with research papers and projects that needed to be done. " Anyway, THANK YOU all for taking time to review and read! : ) Much Appreciated!Concerning the Vongola ring, it is in it's original form, the unshackled one though truthfully I haven't really thought about it.

I am lacking sleep but besides that excuse, I seriously didn't know how to write this chapter, but here are the fruits of my attempt. Maybe or maybe not, this will be an enjoyable read for all of you. :x Once again Thanks for Reviewing~!

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A glimmer of light flitted through the crack of the curtain, a small beam shining into the room. It was a sign that morning had come. The little ray just so happen to shine directly on an occupant, who had been in a rather deep slumber. Tsuna could only groan in irritation as the light beat down on his face. After another moment, he opened one eye to glare at nothing in particular.

He looked around blearily trying to find his reorient himself with the unfamiliar room. Tumbling out of the bed, he could barely make out what was in front of him. He let out a low curse as he accidently bumped into the table before finally drawing open the curtains. The room was flooded with sunlight bringing everything into sight. He paused a moment to admire the view before walking towards the bathroom with a yawn. He needed a shower.

Fifteen minutes later, Tsuna peered out of his room tentatively. After looking around, he came out, closing the door behind him quietly. He was dressed in the suit that he found in the closet, as Knuckle had said. Though there were slight differences, the black pinstriped suit was similar to what he normally wore and was just as comfortable.

Feeling a lot better, compared moments before he began to walk through the hall. Though there was definitely an older style, there were still things like paintings and antiques that survived to his time that he recognized. It also helped that there was no change in the general architecture of the building. It was different and familiar; he did not know how to describe it. To him, it was new, yet old.

Strangely, he had not seen any signs of Rampou or Knuckle. He had expected one of them to at least come to met him. Maybe they forgot about him? Or was he up too early? After all, the clock on the walk declared that it was only seven thirty.

Well, if they weren't going to come to him then he might as well take a look around. It wouldn't hurt to explore. After all, if anything he could pretend he got lost, not that he would get lost here…He turned a corner and began his rather aimless walk.

Surprisingly, there people were actually up and about. Though he greeted each with a polite smile and nod, he got nothing but suspicious looks and even a glare that was filled with blatant distrust. His former feelings of comfort evaporated into thin air leaving him a tad bit tense and guarded, not that it showed on his face. It had been a while since such looks were made at him and it was putting him on edge. But it was reasonable since he was a stranger to them. Why shouldn't they be wary?

He was rather amused that none of the men or women made any attempts to confront him, though there were clearly signs that they wanted to. Instead they all simply walked around him, as if there were an invisible bubble around him. Nevertheless, he continued his rather random trek, diligently ignoring all the glances.

Soon he arrived to a deserted hall, empty of any people; thankfully. Though he had initially planned to just wander aimlessly, somehow, his feet unconsciously led him here.

He had ended up at the front door of his office, well, what would have been his office in the future. He could already feel his curiosity shoot up. How did it look like now? What was inside? The door was not completely closed completely, a slight crack taunting him to take a look. He hesitated as he held the knob. It wouldn't hurt to take a quick peek, right?

He gave a sigh before steeling himself to open the door, silently apologizing to whomever the room belonged to. He had a hunch as to who the room currently belonged to but… His interest was getting the best of him. He was going to touch anything per se; he was just going to take a quick look, nothing more nothing less.

He had definitely done a lot more things worse than simply looking at a room. Something in the back of his mind was sure that if Reborn was here, that the baby would have kicked him hard in the head for his foolishness. But Reborn wasn't here right now. With a gentle push, he slipped inside.

It was…spacious, definitely less cluttered than his own office. The navy blue wide window at the end was drawn back, revealing the grassy courtyard. Before the window, stood a nicely designed desk with papers neatly stacked into organized piles. The side's walls of the room were completely decked by shelves of books and files as well as a couple of maps.

In front of the desk was a dark marbled coffee table accompanied by two black leather-like sofas. It was simple but elegant. Looking through the shelves, Tsuna could spot books ranging from Business and Theology to History and Sciences and many more; an eclectic mix. As he continued to look around, he noticed two picture frames sitting innocently on the desk, partially hidden by a pile of reports.

In one of the photos, he instantly recognized Rampou and Knuckle amongst the faces. He could only assume these were the other guardians of the Vongola. Eyeing these people, Tsuna could not help but vaguely recall a comment that Reborn had made to him, something about his guardians having a close similarities to the first generation. Though he had initially scoffed at such an idea, he was now more inclined to believe that it was with appearances as well as technique. There was also another photo, this one showing a picture of a woman holding a child that looked no older than eight or ten. Was that...

As he moved to take a closer look at the picture, a deep melodic voice floated through the room, "Well now. What do we have here?"

Tsuna spun to the face the source of the voice, internally berating himself for not paying attention. He hadn't even heard the man slip in. As he turned to the man, his eyes widened in shock as he realized who it was: the Vongola Primo, himself. The man was only decked in a simple black suit that was unbuttoned to show an Earp Stripe White and a loose black tie. However, even with the slight disheveled look, the Vongola leader practically exuded an aura of authority. Here was the man who started everything, the founder. The man stood at the door, holding a small stack of papers that were probably the latest reports.

The man eyed the brunette, "May I inquire as to how you got into my office?" Though it was said in a curious tone, the voice booked no room for lies.

Tsuna scratched his head before giving a small wary chuckle, "Eh, I was taking a look around and I sort of ended up here. Eheheh…" It was technically not a lie but it was a weak truth. It was all he could think of since the shock from seeing the First Vongola before him had not yet worn off.

Giotto raised his brow in mild amusement, a slight smile on his face, "Really…I have never seen you around here. Perhaps you're an intruder?"

Tsuna shook his head and gave a small uneasy laugh edging away from the desk. He had a sinking feeling that something bad was going to happen and he knew he wasn't going to like it.

True to Tsuna's intuition, Giotto lost all pretense of good nature and sprung to action, dropping all the papers he was carrying. Out of sheer instinct, Tsuna blocked the swift blow aimed for his face. A look of surprise flitted across Giotto's face only to disappear as quickly as it came. Before Tsuna could even cheer for blocking the blow, Giotto struck the poor man's side, right on his still tender wound.

Tsuna could not help but stumble and grimace in pain. Inwardly, he lamented at his bad luck. Out of all the places to aim at, why there! That was unfair. However, he did not back down. Instead he shifted into a fighting stance.

Giotto eyes narrowed as he observed the person before him, "Who are you? How did you get here?" The commanding tone of the voice held no room for any type of deceit.

Tsuna took a shaky breath, carefully masking his pain behind a calm mask. He had yet to loosen his stance as the other man looked ready to start again. Looking straight into the cold blue eyes of the blonde before him, Tsuna glared refusing to back down or show any signs of weakness. This would be considered surprising given his shy temperament in his teen years. However, it was a habit he developed from his not so pleasant meetings with the many mafia bosses of his time. There was no way he was going to back down. "My name is Tsuna. I actually arrived here last night."

Though a flickering of recognition flashed through his eyes, Giotto did not relax his stance. His tone was impartial, "That does not explain how you got here."

Tsuna replied in an equally neutral tone, "I stand by what I said earlier. It was by chance that I came to this room."

The Vongola scoffed in disbelief "…So by chance, you, a stranger who arrived only last night, managed to find my office out of all the possible rooms in this building?" said the man sardonically.

There was a tense silence as the brunette made no rush to answer. Giotto raised his brow, "Well?" he asked.

After another moment of silence, Tsuna suddenly gave a small smile dropping his stance completely. Giotto narrowed his eyes in suspicion as the brunette moved towards him. When he was but a mere feet from the Vongola Boss, the brunette gave a simple smile, "What if I were to tell you that I was from the future?"

Giotto eyed the brunette, incredulity evident in his expression, "What kind of joke are you trying to pull—!"

It was so quiet that one could hear the distant chirps of the morning birds greeting each other. Tsuna knew he had just dropped an impossible bomb. Said leader eyed the Tsuna without any expression. However, Tsuna was inclined to believe that there were probably a multitude of thoughts going through the blondes mind.

After all, it wasn't every day an exact duplicate of the Vongola ring on the hand of another person.

Tsuna knew he had the man's undivided attention, "What if I said I know about the Vongola Rings and the Dying Will properties?" ask Tsuna. "What if I also knew how to create the flame as well?" With that said, the ring gave a burst of orange flame, before flickering out as quickly as it appeared. Giotto's eyes widened with surprise as he took in the sight.

Tsuna could not help but smile in amusement, "Do you believe me?"

Giotto stared at the brunette in silence. When he spoke, his voice had a barely concealed shakiness to it, "What in the, no, who in the world are you?"

Tsuna could not help but give an internal cheer of triumph, this was the first time he had seen such an emotion on the Vongola's face. Back in his time, all the portraits that he'd seen displaying all the Vongola leaders showed only stern or empty gazes. It was nice to know that at least one was capable of showing feelings.

Nevertheless, Tsuna dropped his hand, hiding the ring from view and gave a small bow of greeting, "I am only one of many generational leaders. I am not particularly interesting. However it is an honor to meet you, Giotto of the First Vongola."

Giotto observed the man before him. He had no doubt that this man was telling the truth, his intuition was never wrong. The ring the man possessed was also definitely another deciding factor. All thoughts of it being a fake had gone down the drain when the brunette was able to create a flame with the ring.

However, Giotto's intuition told him that the man before him was more than he said to be. Though the aura this man exuded was seemingly harmless, he had a feeling that it was just a guise to throw people off. The fact that this person was able to block his initial attack was proof that the man was highly proficient in combat. The brunette was probably a veteran fighter, powerful, though he looked no older than twenty.

Giotto frowned, "How is this even possible, to be able to defy the laws of time and getting to this time?"

Tsuna looked slightly abashed scratching at his head, "Well, see, the thing is that one of my technicians is…a rather inquisitive inventor and somehow he managed to make a weapon that could send people to the future."

Giotto furrowed his brow, "How does this explain you appearing into the past?"

This time it was Tsuna who frowned, "…I am assuming he made an error and instead of the future, I ended up here in the past. Usually, I would have been able to return in a matter of minutes but for now it is not the case…So to sum it up, I am stranded here for the time being. I apologize for the inconvenience, if that amounts to anything."

Giotto could feel the beginnings of a headache forming as he listened to the obscene explanation. The man said it as if it were a normal everyday concept. But how in the world was he going to explain this to his people? Many, who he had passed moments before, were already voicing their reservations and qualms about the man. It would be foolish to let people know that this man was from the future.

If this information were to get into any enemy hands, the man would surely be targeted. Giotto was confident that the man could probably defend himself. But if a worse scenario was to occur and the man overwhelmed, then it would be disastrous… He gave a small sigh of frustration as he racked his mind for any ideas. There was no way he could just simply dismiss this man, it was too dangerous. Tsuna waited quietly, curious as to how he was going to deal with this problem.

After another moment, Giotto spoke, "Going by your name, I am going to assume you are of Japanese descent."

Tsuna nodded. "If anybody is to ask you lived the majority of your life in Japan."

The blonde paused before giving a sigh, "Since, I can't have you going around telling people you are from the future…You can go by the pretense of being my advisor."

Tsuna could not help but sputter in surprise, clearly not expecting this turn of event, "Excuse me?"

Became an advisor? That was crazy! The position was basically on par with being a guardian, maybe even higher. To become an advisor would mean he would be privy to many of the reports and activities of the Vongola family as well as having a say in many other things. This was a huge responsibility and power. It was not something to be given so lightly!

Giotto raised his brow in mild amusement, "I don't suppose you have any better solutions?"

Tsuna shook his head sheepishly, "No, but isn't that a bit too hasty? I mean you barely know who I am. Don't you already have an adviser?" asked the brunette hopefully.

The blonde shook his head, "Since you bear the Vongola ring, it is highly unlikely that you would do anything that would harm the family. I know for a fact that the rings don't just simply choose anybody. It also is rather convenient that my previous adviser…was dismissed after he let some things slip up." There was an underhanded meaning to which Tsuna decided to not comment on. He had a feeling that the outcome was not so pretty.

Giotto continued, "People are less likely to question you if I put you in such a high position and it helps that you are an experienced fighter so there is no worry that you will be defenseless. Adding to that, you will be with me for the majority of the time so I will be able to help clear up any mishaps. Agreed?"

It sounded plausible. Tsuna gave a reluctant nod, "And how did we happen to come across each other?"

A small thoughtful look appeared on Giotto's face, "I did reside in Japan for the duration of my adolescent years. We chanced to meet and struck up a friendship. I returned to Italy and kept in close contact with you before I extended an invitation for you to come become my advisor. "

Tsuna frowned, "You know many people might object to this right? There will be many complaints and suspicions. I, also, don't really have a good grasp of this era."

Giotto moved to pick up the papers that he dropped onto the floor, "Well, you will just have to prove yourself to them. I can give you some books and papers to look through to help you get a better grasp at understanding. I am sure that you will have no problems learning to adapt, after all you are a Mafioso boss."

Tsuna gave a small internal groan but began to help the man pick up the papers. How did it come out to be like this? In a matter of one morning, he was put in a position he never for the life of him would have expected. Why couldn't he have been sent back to his time normally? Why did the most bizarre situations always happen to him? Why? He gave a small sigh. The only thing he could hope for now was to go with the flow and hope he came out unscathed.

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Did you have a nice read? : ) Comments? Thoughts? Stay in tune for the next chapter~!

Sorry, I wrote this in a daze so their conversation is rather stilted and awkward. I'm still not sure how this portrayal will work out. I really don't know what I got myself into when i decided to write this x.x, BUT I hope it was satisfactory~! : ) Now to take a nap...


	6. Chapter VI

Ah~! My apologies for not updating sooner. My excuse is that I have been having nonstop rehearsals for a musical (Sweeney Todd :D), at my school. I'm part of the orchestra, so we've been having extra rehearsals added in on Saturdays and Sundays. So I might not update until next next week when everything is over. Sorry i-i

BUT THANK YOU ALL For reading and Reviewing and putting up with this. : ) I hope you enjoy this next installment!

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Tsuna gave an internal moan of annoyance as he lugged a hefty amount of books and papers into his room. He let the bundle drop unceremoniously on to the desk, watching with contempt as some of the papers slipped from the pile and covering more of the desk.

Part of the papers and books consisted of articles concerning the current time era, while the other part consisted of information concerning the status and place of the Vongola, completed missions, business transactions, and what not. Mind you, this was only a small portion. As the newly instated adviser, he had to learn all of this and possibly more since information was constantly coming in and changing.

That man wanted him to start doing reports too! What did he do to deserve this? Seriously! Not to mention the fact that not only was it likely for him to become a viable target from other mafia families but also the fact that he needed to have a credible excuse for Rampou and Knuckles as well as anybody else he met. Did he do something wrong in his past life to be put in this position?

He was half tempted to simply fall onto the bed and cry his eyes out. However, Giotto expected him to be at the dining hall before the hand of the clock struck eight thirty for breakfast. It was already eight twenty. He went to the bathroom and eyed his appearance. Other than his in-tamable hair, which had been cut short a couple of weeks ago in his time, he looked presentable. However his expression showed his evident apprehensiveness and nervousness. This was not his day at all and to think that it only just began.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Tsuna let out a sigh, masking his emotions as he walk over to open it; it was Knuckle. Tsuna gave a small smile, "Good morning, Knuckle."

Knuckle returned the smile, "Good Morning. You look a little pale."

"Uh, I guess my body is feeling the aftereffects?" suggested Tsuna with a minute laugh. There was no way he could bring himself to tell the man that it was actually due to his chance meeting with the Vongola. "Anyway, I found the clothes that were set out. Thank you."

Knuckle waved it off with a grin, "Think nothing of it, it's the least we can do. I actually came to show you to take you around."

Tsuna nodded, "I would love that." It would be better than randomly walking around like he did before; look at what that led to! As he made a move to close the door behind him, he heard a shout, "Tsuna, You're awake!"

Tsuna turned to see the source of the voice, only to be tackled by a hug. Tsuna fought the urge to yelp of pain at the impact of the young teen on his wound. Knuckle raised his brow in mild amusement, "Rampou, did you forget that Tsuna's injured?"

Rampou quickly let go in concern. Tsuna raised his brow in mild surprise. Now that he got a good look at Rampou, the teen had green hair, not black, rather surprising. He assumed in the dark light of the night that Rampou's hair was a light brunette and now that he looked at Knuckle's hair, he realized that it was as dark as a raven.

Rampou eyed Tsuna worriedly, unsure of what to do next, "Are you alright?"

Tsuna easily hid any signs of pain behind a grin, patting the green head, "Don't worry, I'm fine. It'll take more than a hug to bring me down. I'm glad to see that you are alright. Did you get yourself checked up?"

Reassured, Rampou gave an eager nod, "I only got a few scrapes and bruises. It wasn't as bad as your injury, though. How is it?"

Tsuna lightly patted his side as if to prove his point, "It's a lot better than I had hoped. I thought I would have been in bed for weeks…Actually, I'm surprised that my wound is even closed."

Rampou gave a beaming smile, clearly eager to enlighten, "That's all because of Knuckle!"

Tsuna raised his brow in mild interest, "Really? How so?"

Though Tsuna had a pretty good idea of what happened, he had decided it was best, to feign ignorance. He would wait until information was told to him, after all it wouldn't do to have people get suspicious of him for knowing certain things; especially things that were probably not widely known.

Rampou continued animatedly, unaware of Tsuna's act, "You might think it's not possible but he can create flames from his ring. He has a ring just like me, except his can heal injuries of all sorts."

So Tsuna's hunch about Knuckle was correct. This man was indeed the Sun Guardian; just like Ryohei, he possessed the ability to heal. Tsuna feigned an incredulous look, "Really? That's amazing, Knuckles."

Knuckle gave a small smiled, "It seems that it was by the will of god… that I am lucky enough to possess this ability." Tsuna did not miss the sudden flicker of emotion that flitted across Knuckle's eyes. To his trained eyes, it looked to be a mixture of what looked to be bitterness and sadness. Why?

It seemed Rampou noticed too, as he quickly attempted to change the topic, "Anyway, I heard that Knuckle was going to take you around. This place is HUGE."

Knuckle nodded, the emotions replaced with a placid smile, "Yes…I do believe that the-"

There was a small rumbling sound. Knuckle and Lampo traded looks of confusion before turning to Tsuna. A ting of pink dotted Tsuna's face as he held his stomach. He gave a sheepish smile, "Sorry. I hadn't eaten since yesterday, as my stomach is inclined to remind me."

Lampo could not help but laugh. Talk about good timing. Even Knuckle let out a bark of laughter, "Well, I guess the dining hall will be our first stop. I believe they had just made a couple batches of brioche and rolls, completely fresh."

Tsuna gave a small sigh of relief as they all began to walk towards the hall, Knuckle leading the way. The conversation from there on out consisted of Knuckle explaining different rooms that they passed by and Rampou adding random tidbits of information. Tsuna listened with half an ear as his thoughts were preoccupied by what happened before. Why did Knuckle have such a reaction and why did Rampou seem completely skirt the topic? He was brought out of his thoughts by a sudden query that made his mind freeze.

"So Tsuna, I heard you moved here from Japan. Where do you live?" asked Knuckle; they all turned another corner. The dining hall was only a few yards away. The aroma of freshly baked foods wafted towards the trio, but Tsuna was more worried about something else.

Well, how was he going to answer that? Sure it seemed like an innocent question, but he couldn't really say he lived in the Vongola Headquarters.

He distinctively remembered telling Rampou that he had moved from Italy on whim. He really should have just kept his mouth shut back then. With this new complication, it would be problematic to continue going by his original alibi. A part of him was guilty for the deceit but another part understood the importance of his position and his need. If he did not start creating an excuse now, the repercussions were sure to be great later on. How to work this…maybe he could…No, that wouldn't be so wise…Wait, he could pretend to…No, that wouldn't work either…

Tsuna gave a sigh and scratched his head, "Well…actually, it isn't. I have been to Italy a couple of times. Like I told…Rampou when I first met him, I have lived in Italy but it was only for a small duration, and it was solely for…educational purposes. I never really stayed long enough and every time I stayed it was in a rented room."

Rampou furrowed his brow in confusion, "Then why are you here now?"

Tsuna shrugged and gave a small laugh, "This time, I came here on the account of a close …acquaintance of mine. He said that he needed me to help fill a position. Something about it being a great learning opportunity…I didn't have much to do anyway so it was sort of on whim."

Technically, what he said wasn't really that much of a lie. Well maybe the close acquaintance part, but come on, he barely knew the Primo. He just met the man a couple of minutes ago! And it was, in a way, a learning opportunity since he was getting a chance to observe the way the family was conducted in this time period.

Knuckle paused and turned to Tsuna, "Who is it? Maybe we can help you locate this person."

Rampou nodded his agreement, curious to know who would make Tsuna come so far from his homeland. It wasn't everyday that something like that occurred.

Tsuna fiddled with the cuff on his sleeve as an alibi formed in his head, "Well, he only ever told me his first name and I'm not really familiar with the people here. You see, we met a while back when he was in Japan and I've been keeping him in contact since then-"

"I thought I told you to come earlier." The three looked around in surprise, at the sudden interruption. It was Giotto.

Tsuna mentally moaned at the sudden wrench in his plans. Why did Giotto have to appear now of all times? There was no way he could pretend that he did not know the man before him; that would be too suspicious. He watched quietly as Knuckle and Rampou greeted the man with a good morning, his mind racing to figure out what to do next. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as an idea popped into his head. Hopefully the repercussions wouldn't be too great.

Meanwhile, Giotto greeted his two companions with a warm smile. Rampou looked completely normal, albeit a bit tired, but that was a given. They had been lucky when Knuckle managed to track down the teen. However, he was surprised by the scene he had come upon when he arrived. For once, Rampou looked to be actually completely terrified, gone was the usual self confident egotism. All that was left was a helpless teen.

Giotto had felt a twinge of guilt welled up in his heart for putting the teen in such a position, but it was quickly clamped down. He had sent Rampou on the assignment on purpose. Though the ambush that occurred was totally unexpected, the boy needed to learn how to survive on his own. He had hoped that in this mission the teen would be able to invoke the ring and originally made sure that Knuckle would follow from a distance. However, once the chase began, Knuckle lost sight of them.

Giotto had feared the worst, immediately leaving from his meeting. Thankfully they were able to catch up with the teen. Rampou got out with only some bruises and cuts; however the man that the teen picked up seemed to be in a not so wonderful predicament.

That man who claimed to be from the 'future'... When Giotto initially caught sight of the young man, it was not in the most favorable position. He had been stabbed in a rather precarious area. Even though Knuckle was quick to closing the wound, the chances of survival were minimal at best. Nevertheless, he ordered that the man be taken back to the headquarters. That was a surprising gesture that evidently shown on the faces of the men that were with him. Though he did not voice it, the reason for that was more for the sake of Rampou than anything else. The boy stuck to the man like glue and seemed to have grown attached to that man.

From what he heard later, Knuckle had to literally drag the boy off to get some rest, which was amusing to a degree. Having settled that issue, he was quick to return to the problem at hand, looking for a new advisor as well as the rumor concerning recent betrayals. Though it was only a rumor, his gut told him that if he did not keep a close eye, there would be consequences. A couple hours into the night, he was interrupted from finalizing some reports by Knuckle who walked in to his office. When Knuckle had entered, Giotto instantly noticed that Knuckle looked slightly trouble which was unusual, causing red flags to go up.

Knuckle cut straight his dilemma, "I was checking up on Rampou's guy. He woke up." Giotto had frozen at the sudden comment and eyed his guardian in disbelief.

Knuckle continued, "He didn't look at all like someone who got a near fatal injury. When I spoke with him, he showed no signs of pain, not one slip up. If I didn't know that he was injured beforehand, I would have never known. That man is use to pain and has a superb grasp at suppressing it."

A frown marred Giotto's face, his reports completely forgotten in favor of this news. How was this possible for the man to be awake after such a wound? That, by itself brought great suspicion. High pain tolerance was something that occurred after years of experiencing constant injuries and fights. What if that man was from another family? Who was to know? But that seemed the most likely and it was not a good sign. Giotto had asked for Knuckle's opinion. Usually Knuckle had a good sense when it concerned people's characters.

However to this, Knuckle only shrugged, "I… don't think he is a bad person. He was rather calm about the whole incident and I didn't sense any sort of maliciousness. It is too early to tell."

After Knuckle took his leave, Giotto was left to slowly collect his thoughts. He did know what to make of this incident. In the end, he decided that he would check up on this man and left it at that for the night. But imagine his surprise when he found the man in his office, the following morning. The brunette was looking at his desk and looked just as surprised by Giotto's entrance. Giotto instantly sprung into action, aiming to bring down the man.

He was surprised by the deftness at which the opposing person moved with. He could instinctively tell that the man was experienced in fighting. When Giotto landed a blow on the brunette, it was in the general location of the injury. The brunette's face instantly contorted with pain before quickly being extinguished. It was just like Knuckle said, the man was well trained. But that wasn't the greatest shock. No, it was far from it. Giotto had almost felt his heart ceasing to beat at what happened next.

Seemingly out of now where, the brunette, who later introduced himself as Tsuna, showed him the exact replica of the Vongola ring all the while claiming to be one of the many future generational leaders. Not only that but this Tsuna also knew how to create a flame, a sky flame. It was truly unbelievable. Though he was completely unsatisfied with the answer, there was no other plausible explanation for it. The man would not release any information.

No matter how much Giotto thought about it, it was completely and utterly impossible to create a replica of the Vongola ring, detail for detail. He had no choice but to take the man's word for it. In the end, he decided go by his intuition and made the man his advisor, much to the brunette's dismay. Though he knew that it was probably an extreme idea, it was the easiest way to keep an eye on the male and make tabs. The brunette's claims to being a so called generational leader would also be tested as well.

Giotto was brought out of his thoughts by a tug from Rampou, "Giotto! Look, the guy that saved me woke up. Amazing right?" They turned to face the brunette. Something was off. The brunette had the strangest look on his face. It was a mixture of shock and delight. In one fluid motion Tsuna swiftly walked over and gave Giotto a warm embrace. Giotto stiffened in shock, until he heard the barest whisper in his ear, "Just play along please."

There was utter silence as Rampou and Knuckle stared at Tsuna with a mixture of shock and disbelief. They simply froze in their positions. Tsuna resigned himself to what happened next internally wondering whether or not this was such a good idea… The two had yet to lose their surprised expression.

Tsuna let go and gave a bright smile, "I didn't know that this was you lived here! So it was your people that saved me."

With the initial shock wearing off, Giotto could only raise his brow in mild amusement at the strange antic. Nevertheless, he went along with it, "Well, I did tell you that you would get here one way or another. I apologize for not recognizing you earlier. You have changed."

There was a double meaning to that, making Tsuna frown, "You could have told me how to get here. You know that I get lost easily."

Giotto smiled, "You made it here. That is all that matters. It is wonderful to see that you are alright."

Meanwhile, Lampo could only wonder at such a turn of events. Tsuna, who not only saved his life but also returned his ring to him, seem to also be an acquaintance of Giotto? Giotto never talked like that to strangers, so they had to have known each other to be talking at this degree. Heck they were talking to each other as if they were long time companions.

However, to Knuckle it seemed somewhat suspicious. As the surprise wore off, a slight frown marred his face. On one hand, if this man really was Giotto's acquaintance, then the only possible position that needed to be filled would be the advisory one. But this concept seemed just too coincidental, since they had 'lost' that advisor only a couple of weeks ago. Not to mention the fact that the position was one that many people of the Vongola were hoping to obtain. Who was this man to be able to be offered this opportunity? What was Giotto thinking?

Rampou seemed to voice Knuckle's thoughts, "Wait, so does that mean that Giotto was the one who offered you that position thingy?"

Giotto furrowed his brow in confusion, "Excuse me?"

Tsuna raised his brow, his eyes trying to convey his excuse, "Well, I did get a _letter_ from you asking me to come fill a position, which I have yet to know. You know, about an empty spot or something? It was supposed to have some educational purpose?"

Oh. Giotto gave a calm nod as realization quickly dawned in his eyes. He gave a smile, "Yes. I might as well tell you now. I wanted you to fill an advisory position. It's a simple job, don't worry, you will learn something from it."

Tsuna bit back the urge to roll his eyes. It's just a simple job? Was that what he viewed it as? Who was he kidding? How could he write it off as if it were just a receptionist job? Tsuna felt the urge to cry again. He could not decline it though it was fervent his wish to.

Instead Tsuna could only flash a smile, "Well, as long as it's simple. I guess I'm all for it."

"Good. Then I will meet you at my office, after breakfast, to give you further details on it. In the mean time you can enjoy your time with Knuckle and Rampou, who I assume you are getting to know really well."

With that Giotto left for the dining hall with a hidden smile, leaving Tsuna with two rather…inquisitive people. Tsuna bit back the urge to curse. That guy abandoned him on purpose! He sighed and readied himself for some questioning. Sometimes…he really hated his life.

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I tried to make it longer but...apparently it didn't work. i-i, One of these days...I think it could have been written better, but I am pressed for time "...ack.

Anyway, feel free to comment or critique. Thank You for reading! : )


	7. Chapter VII

Hi... I would like to say I have an excuse but the only one I can provide is that H.S. senioritis has taken a rather strong hold... I am terribly sorry, but here is the next chapter!

I am absolutely thankful for all the reviews that have been made. Thank you all so much! I hope that this chapter meets up with all your expectations. I had fun writing it! (sorta) =D Enjoy~!

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The first to break the silence was Rampou. The teen eyed the brunette in obvious disbelief, "Your friend was Giotto? Why didn't you tell us?"

Tsuna gave an internal groan as the questioning inevitably began. The temptation to bolt was definitely an appealing option. But that wouldn't do, since Tsuna really had no place to run to. With a small sigh he resigned himself to answering the green haired teen's queries. Maybe he could get out of this unscathed. But judging by the way the two were looking at him, that hope was probably improbable.

Rampou interrupted his train of thought with an impatient huff, "Hello? Are you there? I demand an answer."

Tsuna raised his brow and chuckle in mild amusement, "Ah, I was getting to that point but I got interrupted. As I mentioned before, we met in Japan years ago. I haven't seen him since then. This would be the first time in a long while. My only communication was through letters and those were rather infrequent at best."

"But, Giotto never mentioned you at all…" muttered Rampou, confusion evident in his tone. Giotto always told Rampou about all the people he met, whether they were good or bad. But, why had he never said a word about Tsuna? Why did he keep this away from him?

Tsuna could practically see the uncertainty and hurt glistening in Rampou's eyes and quickly created an excuse. "The reason he probably never mentioned it to anybody was because I…requested that he keep out meetings a secret. I did not want to bring attention to myself…or endanger Giotto. Most of the letters I received from him were burned right after I read it. I believe he did the same with his." Tsuna replied with a wan smile.

Though appeased by the reason, Rampou frowned, worry etched on his face "Danger from what? And why would you need to burn them?"

Tsuna patted Rampou's shoulder reassuringly, "It's all in the past now. It was nothing major…I had to burn them because the place I resided in was rather...prying about its tenants."

Rampou furrowed his brow, "Then…How did you guys meet in Japan?"

"Well, it was a rather sudden. It came as a surprise to the both of us. I was somewhere I wasn't supposed to be and he found me there. After some "problems" were sorted out, we hit it off pretty well." said Tsuna rather elusively. It was technically true…if he thought back to the morning incident.

Rampou wanted to shake the man before him. It was just like when he first met the brunette. All of the questions asked were answered with a vague response that bore no details whatsoever. The man had a constant smile that never left his face as he calmly eluded each and every question that was related to his life in Japan and his relation with Giotto. It was evident to Rampou that the man was withholding information. If anything, this man seemed to be just as bad as Giotto when it came to revealing things. How irritating. He wanted answers.

Tsuna on the other hand was rather relieved that he had even gotten so far without spilling anything important. The fact that all the questions asked had a lot of loopholes made it even more convenient. He did not have to tell an outright lie nor did he have to tell the truth. But he was going to have to have a talk with Giotto with a more detailed alibi than the one the blonde provided. There was no way he could keep this up, especially if he encountered more people that would most likely see through his charade.

Knuckle took the sudden silence as an opportunity to ask his own question, "Do you happen to know a man named Asari? He is native to Japan as well."

Tsuna gave a small chuckle and shook his head apologetically, "No, I haven't met this Asari. I did not really wander out as much as I'd had liked to. My meeting with Giotto was a rather surprising turn of events."

Knuckle frowned, "But, you should have met up at one point. Asari was with Giotto for the majority of the time and that was the only time Giotto was ever in Japan. I don't see how you guys didn't chance to cross each other. And what was this event that happened?"

Tsuna's smile froze on his face, "Ah…" Shit. What to do now?

Knuckle raised his brow, "Well?"

There was a moment of silence before Tsuna gave a small sigh before looking away from the two, "When I met him it was years ago back when I was but a teenager. It was at night, I believe. At time I was targeted by… yakuza, mafia men. They wanted something that I had." Well, when he was a teen, there was the Varia that was after the rings and then there was the succession incident. There was also that time when he traveled to the future. It was during that time that he really met Giotto.

Rampou widened his eyes in shock while Knuckle gave a sharp intake of air. This man knew about the mafia? He was targeted by mafia?

Tsuna continued as he recalled the first time he really met Giotto as well as all the other Vongola leaders. It was during his stay in the future, learning to control his flames to fight against Byakuran. "…It was a meeting that I would never forget. He helped me overcome an obstacle that I had at first thought I would never had been able to get over. After that he left back to Italy. From then on we kept in contact through letters. This would be the first time since then that I have seen him before me."

Knuckle frowned, but seemed to have accepted the answer. He then muttered more to himself than to the two people before him, "You have only met once and he wants you to be the advisor…How strange."

Tsuna gave a small frown, "Am I missing something important?"

Knuckle frown eased into a weak smile, "Tsuna, I was just wondering, did Giotto mention anything about being an advisor to you?"

Tsuna furrowed his brow in confusion, "Actually, when… I received the letter; it was rather vague about what I was going to be doing. I didn't really get what the position entailed, but he said that it would be…an interesting job so I just… accepted it. And didn't he say just now that it was pretty easy? ...Why are you guys staring at me like that?"

Tsuna could not help but wonder if he had gone too far with his story. The two both had looks of incredulity, shock adorned on their faces. Maybe he should have been more specific…? But it wasn't like he could take it back now.

Knuckle knew it. Giotto had not told the brunette anything about the job. What was that man thinking giving the position to a completely clueless person? Did he realize what a problem this would create for Tsuna and himself, as a leader, as well? Or was there something else?

Knuckle looked at the man before him, "Tsuna, I think you should rethink your choice about choosing this job. Giotto gave you the most cut down version of being an advisor."

Tsuna raised his brow feigning ignorance, "Why is that? Isn't being an advisor just filling out paper work and aiding in minor details?"

Surprisingly it was Rampou who answered all the while shaking his head in denial, "There's a lot more then paper work, you have to attend meetings with other mafia families and do assignments too."

Tsuna raised his brow, "So it's just like business meetings right? And assignments shouldn't be so hard either. I can handle those."

Rampou shook his head, "No, you don't understand, the meetings are with other mafia families and those assignments are dangerous! You could get hurt like yesterday!"

Knuckle nodded in somber agreement, "Most if not all meetings end up in a fight. We had an advisor that…was mortally wounded in one of those meet ups."

"It's too risky. You haven't even been here for that long!"

Tsuna could not help but give a small smile. The fact that the teen had grown so attached to be worried for him was touching to say the least. He clasped Rampou's shoulder reassuringly, "I'll be fine. What happened yesterday was only a careless mistake. I am sure Giotto knows what he is doing so trust me on that. While I may have been here for a short time, I am a quick learner and I have been studying much of the Italian culture."

Rampou was about to say something more, when Knuckle interjected, "Why don't we go eat breakfast first and maybe talk about this later? I'm sure that Tsuna is completely famished."

Tsuna gave an internal sigh of relief. Finally! It was concluding, at least for the time being.

Rampou looked at Tsuna, who gave a rueful smile, before giving a reluctant nod "…Fine. But you have to promise to tell me about Japan later. Asari doesn't talk about Japan as much as he talks about music and swords. It can get so borin- Ow! That hurt, Knuckle!"

Knuckle, who had lightly knocked Rampou on the head, raised his brow, "What did I say about making rude comments?"

Rampou scrunched up his face in distaste. "Yah, yah. No rude comments. But I can't help it if it's true! Ack-!" yelped Rampou as another light blow found its way to his head.

Tsuna chuckled in amusement before following the two guardians into the dining hall. For a moment, there seemed to be a lapse of conversation before a slow hum returned. Tsuna fought down the unconscious urge to tense and followed Knuckle and Rampou at an amicably pace. They were all staring, some blatantly which other's more furtively. He did not know whether it was at him or at the guardians but nevertheless, it was rather unnerving.

As Knuckle led him to a table that was on the far side of the room, he took a seat that faced all the occupants. One should never have his back to possible enemies, even if these people were Giotto's men. Tsuna then proceeded to observe the room in mild interest. There was an eclectic mix of people, from police officers to everyday workers to business men. Surprisingly there was a healthy mix of company in each table, as rich and poor sat together as equal. Most of the tables were empty, implying that a majority of the family was missing.

"You are holding back a lot of information, aren't you?" Knuckle commented as he watched Tsuna analyzing the people, "You have a lot more experience than you let on".

Tsuna was brought out if his observations with a jolt. Rampou had gone to get some edibles from a banquet styled table towards the center of the dining hall and seemed to be accosted by some people; probably to check to see if he was okay or not. Thus, it was just the two of them. Knuckle watched Tsuna with knowing eyes.

Tsuna sighed before giving a small shrug, "It was not me who suggested the idea."

Knuckle shook his head in mild amusement, "You knew full well what an advisor is. I doubt that the underground system in Japan is any different from the one here."

Tsuna gave a small smile, "Maybe it might have reached my ears a couple of times."

"If you know about this, then you should know all the dangers and the fact that it is a viable position amongst the people in the family. And yet, Giotto goes and chooses you, a random stranger that has been in Italy only a handful of times."

"Let's just say that I have nothing to lose in taking this position and that I currently have nowhere to return to at the moment."

Knuckle raised his brow, "Well aren't you a smooth talker. An answer for everything."

Tsuna smile that was half way towards a grimace, "You have no idea how much I had to go through to get to this point. I still have a lot to work on though. It is nowhere near perfection. The fact that you saw through it, is proof."

The two men shared a laugh together, surprising much of the occupants that were watching. Though they had no idea what was being said, the fact that a veteran of the familiga was at ease with a complete stranger brought many questions to light. The primary, being who exactly the stranger was and what was his connection.

Rampou soon came back with a rather large pile of edible assortments and hot coffee. Tsuna thanked Rampou gratefully before he dug in. It was delicious.

Sometime later, found the trio in front of Giotto's office, satiated by amount of food they had eaten. Surprisingly it was Rampou that ate the most out of all of them, his excuse being only that he was a growing boy.

A good half-hour later, the three satiated young men trekked towards Giotto's office. As they approached, it was Knuckle who knocked on the door before walking in, Tsuna and Rampou followed closely behind. Giotto appeared to be in mid discussion with somebody else in the room before both turned to the source of the intrusions.

Giotto raised his brow, "So I see you are done with breakfast. I hope it suited your taste?"

Tsuna gave a small nod, "It was a wonderful breakfast. I particularly enjoyed the croissants; they were amazing."

The Primo nodded absentmindedly, "Alright, since you have already met Rampou and Knuckle, I would like to introduce you to somebody else. This is my trusted right-hand man, G. G, this is Tsuna. I have plans to make him my new advisor."

Tsuna raised his brow before giving a small bow "Pleasure to meet you, G. My name is Tsuna."

As opposed to Gokudera's silver hair, G had flaming crimson locks and a striking tattoo on his face that gave off an intimidating air. His suit was slightly rumpled; he probably came straight back from his mission or what not. But he exuded power and experience, just like Giotto and Knuckle.

G eyed the brunette, before nodding his head, "Likewise." There was nothing in his face that revealed his thoughts, very much like Reborn until he made a comment. "He's a bit on the scrawny side though."

Giotto gave a small chuckle, "What he lacks in body mass, he will make up in intellect and abilities. Am I correct Tsuna?"

The brunette was half in mind to denying the idea, but nodded, "Knuckle and Rampou have told me some aspects of being an advisor. I look…forward to proving my worth…"

G raised his brow before shrugging, "We'll see then. But, if perhaps, you betray the Vongola, I will personally come to kill you." With that said, the man leveled Tsuna with a rather chilling glare that clearly showed his intention.

Tsuna glared straight back at the fiery headed man, before replying in a rather cold tone, "I have no intentions of betraying your precious family."

Really to be accused of such things. The nerve! Then again, it was not like Tsuna really expected to be accepted by open arms. He was lucky with Rampou and Knuckle being as they were of a welcoming than most people. In a way it was similar to how Gokudera threatened newcomers, though the silver-haired man tended to be a bit more vocal though he never would have dreamed of being at the end of it. It was a new experience…and definitely not one of the greatest.

G broke off the glare in favor of lighting a cigarette, scoffing at the man before him. In the mean time, Giotto had to try very hard to stifle a chuckle as he watched what was occurring, his paper neglected in favor of watching the scene before him. The fact that G was threatening someone who, in the future, was one of Vongola's leaders was a rather amusing thought.

Knuckle, in the mean time, was quick to use the opportunity to break the tense silence, "Welcome back G. I didn't realize you had come back so soon. I would have met up with you earlier if I had known. So it is safe to assume that the trip was an extremely one?" said Knuckle with a grin, moving towards the right hand man.

G cracked a small smile and they gave each other a shake. "Of course, Knuckle. Who do you think I am?"

Rampou in the mean time let out a joking remark, "G, Where's my gift! You went all the way to London. You must've gotten something!"

"Very funny. I went there on business not on vacation. I heard you got into some trouble the other day."

Rampou gave a small wince but shrugged "I'm still here. I know, I know I will be more careful next time."

G raised his brow before refocusing his sight towards the brunette, "Really. I also heard that it was this man right here that saved you. I guess you have my…thanks for it though, for someone who took down the whole gang, you look rather…feeble." Another barb.

Had Giotto blinked, he would have missed the quick emotion that flitted across Tsuna's eyes. He knew that expression well, irritation and indignation.

However, Instead of taking bait, Tsuna only gave a small smile, looking un-offended by the remark "You never know. One shouldn't judge what they haven't seen."

Giotto had to admit the man had a good grasp on his emotions. G noticed as well but did not to push anymore.

"G! Even though he looks like he can lift a weight, he's really strong! He took them down as quickly as Alaude would have and Alaude is fast." added Rampou with a huff.

Knuckle raised his brow. That was some comparison being made right there. G seemed to share the same feelings as he only scoffed, "Rampou. Even if he saved you, there is no need to compare the two."

Rampou evidently begged to differ, however, before he could comment, Giotto spoke, "Instead of arguing with each other, how about you two go reacquaint yourselves in the training area. I believe Rampou needs to work on his hand to hand combat and since G has been telling me that he was not all tired from his trip, he can help…"

Rampou gave a groan of annoyance while G smirked "You're in for it this time squirt. I still haven't forgotten what you did to my suit I lent you."

"It wasn't my fault that it rained that day! Blame the weather. Think of it as an honor that I, the great Rampou was its first and last wearer." said Rampou with a flourish.

Tsuna could not help but chuckle, while a brow on G twitched in irritation, "That thing cost a shit load of money you stupid seaweed head. Maybe I should shave off that hair of yours and sell it."

Rampou widened his eyes in panic as G made a move for the teen "Knuckle! Help me!" yelped Rampou, fleeing the room with a purposeful red headed man trailing behind.

Giotto gave a small smile before turning to Knuckle, "Would you mind making sure G doesn't go overboard? I'd like to have a word with Tsuna here in private."

Knuckle gave an outright laugh but nevertheless nodded, "We'll probably be in the basement if you need us."

Giotto nodded his thanks and watched as Knuckle departed, closing the door behind him with a quiet click before training his focus on the brunette. Said brunette raised his brow in mild amusement.

Giotto returned to his paperwork, "You'll have to excuse the clamor that occurs when those two are together. They tend to get loud at times. I hope G did not scare you off too much. He tends to be rather protective."

Tsuna gave a small laugh, "I don't mind. It sort of reminds me of my guardians and how they act around each other." A small pang of homesickness hit Tsuna before he brushed it off. "Anyway, do you need help with that?"

Giotto looked up from a particular report he had just signed, "Well, if you wouldn't mind, I need the files that I haven't looked through yet to be sorted. I need the ones that have either a red or black mark ups in them. Those are the ones that are the most urgent. The others are just receipts and summaries for money transactions and trading accounts. Actually, would you mind writing it up? They are pretty simple though some of the math might be a bit tricky. I believe I have separate logs for those over there."

Tsuna, having already taken a small bundle of paper, grabbed the logs and seating himself on the sofa. He then plopped the documents onto the marble table and began looking through the papers intently. Soon he was sorting at a quick and efficient pace. It was similar to what he did with his reports so it was easy to fall into his usual habits.

Giotto raised his brow in mild interest as he watched the man work, "I take it that the paperwork is still something of a norm even in the future."

Tsuna let out what seemed to be a laugh and groan as he sorted out a third of the reports that consisted of the red and black markups "Yes. It is a never ending cycle; one that I would rather do without. Here are the urgent ones."

Giotto took the papers and looked through them, organizing the more important ones to the top, "Thank you. By the way, how was your breakfast with Knuckle and Rampou? I'm sure they were entertaining company."

Tsuna shrugged as he began to write up a condensed summary for a particular account, "Knuckle almost got me when you decided to leave me with them. He knew that I was hiding a lot of things. I almost blew my cover. I didn't realize that you were with, Asari during your stay in Japan."

Giotto let a small swear before sighing, "It slipped out of my mind. I did a lot of things while I was in Japan."

So even the first Vongola was prone to forgetting things, well there was no such thing as perfection. That was reassuring. Tsuna began looking through the logs, "I basically told them that we exchanged letters that were later burned for privacy, that I was targeted by mafia in Japan, and that we met when I was trapped by a gang. How do you want me to log the reports?"

"Log them with the amount and a half paragraph summary. Short hand if you have to… You're excuse of a first encounter is a rather interesting way to meet up. And as for Asari, he did not accompany me for the entirety of my stay. I met him later on, so you can safely say that we met. Your cover that you created is pretty solid. People have no way of finding information on you which makes it all the better. And as for G and Knuckle, they were in Italy during that time, so they are covered too. Rampou was still living with his family. You know, he is the son of an old wealthy family, and by succession the next lord?"

Tsuna let out a small whistle as he wrote a number into the log, "Wow. Now that is something. Actually, I don't mean to pry but, did something happen to Knuckle before? When we were talking earlier, I had thanked him for treating my wound, but he had a rather sad expression on. "

"Ah…" Giotto set down his pen and gazed pointedly at Tsuna who looked up in confusion, "Though you'll have to ask Knuckle directly about it I can tell you a very vague version. He wasn't always a follower of god. He used to be a renowned boxer, but something happened and he decided to withdraw."

"…I see." Both men then returned to the paperwork, a peaceful quiet descending upon the room, with only the occasional sounds of rustling paper and scrawling of a pen or pencil.

A good two hours passed with sporadic comments and remarks before one particular idea got Tsuna staring at Giotto in disbelief.

"You want me to what?" said Tsuna, the half finished logs forgotten on the table.

Giotto raised his brow, "I said if you wanted to accompany me to a meeting tonight?"

Tsuna was clearly distressed, "But…Can't you simply have G or Knuckle to go? I mean, I've barely been here for a whole day!"

Giotto shrugged as he straightened out two bundles of complete reports and files, "Recently, there had been growing complaints about me choosing a new advisor. It is relatively necessary for you to be there. They have been rather rowdy about it and I rather not have to get too forceful with them. Don't worry, all you have to do is stand there and look aloof."

Tsuna groaned at his luck. Great. Just Great.

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Yay! Another chapter completed. I hope you all had a good read! =D

Feel free to critique and comment. I'll try my best to fix any errors or inconsistencies. Thank you all for deciding to continue reading this story~! Many thanks. =)


	8. Chapter VIII

Next chapter up. Sorry for taking so long. I was preoccupied by graduation (Class of 2010! College here I come "o.o) and family vacation. Anyway, Thank you all once again for reviewing and putting up with my slowness. I'll try to update faster if i have time, summer work job... Thank you all once again for reviewing and reading this! =) Enjoy!

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It was already late in the afternoon. The sun was already setting and the time for the meeting fast approaching. Together, the two men had completed the majority of the papers that had been loaded on the Primo's table. Now there was but a small neat pile that was to be done after they returned. Overall, Giotto had to say that the brunette had good work ethics. Never had he finished so much work in a matter of hours even with the aid of G. Said brunette showed that he was a natural when put to do the papers and documents.

Tsuna, on the other hand, could not help but mope as he handed the blonde the last of the reports that he finished. He was really not looking forward to the meeting. In a final attempt he asked, "Why is it not possible to have G or Knuckle attend instead of me? They are your guardians and they probably have more experience with these families than I do."

Giotto chuckled in amusement as he accepted the papers and put them to the side. Just how long was the man going to stall? "If I were to bring any of my guardians, it would reflect badly on me. These meetings are mostly ones that consist only of the boss and an advisor. It is viewed as a sign of disrespect you bring someone that is not an advisor by title. Is that not the same for you?" enquired the blonde.

Tsuna plopped back down onto the sofa and shook his head, "No. I assume sometime later in the future, before my time, the standards were changed. In my time, bosses are allowed to take whomever they choose so as long as they are sworn to the family."

Giotto, who was flipping through a log, paused to look at the brunette in curiosity, "Really… Well then, who do you usually bring? Is it a guardian or an advisor?"

Tsuna shook his head at each suggestion. Giotto furrowed his brow, stumped. Really, who else could the man bring? Tsuna noticed the puzzled look on the blondes face and gave a small laugh, "I bring my tutor."

There was a moment of silence before Giotto closed the book with a small thump, "You…bring you're tutor to meetings?"

Tsuna nodded. Giotto furrowed his brows "Would that not be a sign of weakness?" disbelief colored the Primo's tone, unprepared for such response. Why bring a tutor of all the possible people?

Tsuna shrugged, expecting the reaction, "Like I said times have changed. I bring my tutor because he is one of my most trusted men as well as being one of the top hit men's in the entire mafia. An extra plus is that his credibility as a Mafioso allows me to get some leverage when I want to incorporate something new. I have constantly been looked down upon because of the "small" amount of experience I am said to have by many families. With him by my side, they tend to be more… agreeable. And, I have learned and am still learning a great deal from him."

Giotto stared at the man before placing the log in the drawer of his desk, "I…see. That is a rather plausible reason. However, as interesting as this conversation is, we have a meeting to attend to."

Tsuna gave a small groan. So there was no getting out of this one. "And just what is this meeting about?" asked the brunette in resignation.

"Well this one is probably going to be one of the simpler one. I believe it will be mostly on allocations in the amount of cargo exports each family will receive as well as area that we have to cover for our section. It should not take long." answered Giotto as he made a last check of everything on his desk.

"And what is the cargo?" Tsuna enquired as he watched the blonde move some bundles of papers.

Giotto paused for a split second before resuming what he was doing, "…Citrus from Palermo."

"Really" muttered the brunette in mild surprise. Well that was a rather unexpected item.

Giotto nodded, moving to get up and stretch, "The export business is lucrative and has only just begun. With such a huge money flow being opened, there are bound to be disputes between families wanting to stake claims. I want to lessen the amount of aggression that tends to break out. We have already predetermined the boundaries for each family. With these limits, I can set out patrols and make sure that the normal bystanders don't get harmed. The allotments were made the first meeting so you don't have to worry about staying long."

Tsuna shrugged. As long as it did not drag out, he was fine with it. "I guess I have no complaints. But what do advisors do during these meetings? Is there some protocol that I should follow?" questioned Tsuna as he too stood up.

Giotto shrugged, "For the past four or five meetings I have gone by myself. Though advisors mostly act as body guards, they can still be asked to go through information and whatnot. Be wary. They are not stupid and are quick to notice things. I can handle the bosses if any major problems were to occur. Since most of the things have been finalized we are simply to get the papers and accept the terms. It should not last longer than a half an hour."

Tsuna frowned, "Wait, if you went to these past meetings by yourself, what is the point of me going? And why did you stop bringing advisors?"

There was silence for a moment before Giotto let out a weary sigh, "Many of the smaller families are starting to think that since I no longer bring an advisor that I am… fair game. They've been becoming more…challenging."

Tsuna frowned, "In what way?"

The blonde closed his eyes and began massaging the bridge of his nose tiredly, "In the recent meetings there have been attack attempts to take me out as well as the bosses that are with me. Though we have been doing well for the most part, I do have limits."

Tsuna gave an internal wince. That was a rather bad odd to have stacked against you, even if you were a boss. Giotto continued on looking out the window, "…As for the reason why I stopped bring my past…advisors. Let's just say that some just simply did not match up to the strengths of the advisors there and would end up mortally wounded. While others… were competent fighters, I did not trust them to be tightlipped about certain things discussed. As it turned out, I was right. I rather not be guarding myself against my own advisor and watching the other bosses."

Tsuna grimaced. So he was attacked by his own advisors as well as having the family's information leaked? "…I assume they were spies?"

Giotto shook his head and turned to face Tsuna with a sad gaze, "They strayed from what they once were. Many began with the ideal that I admired them for…however after some time they were enticed by briberies and soon began selling out many of our secrets. It was truly a waste in talent. By then I started limiting many things the advisor usually participated in."

Tsuna could only frown at the idea. Why would people do such stupid things for the sake of a little money? Did they not realize that they could potentially destroy the wellbeing of the whole entire family with their acts? Or did they not care? Tsuna fought hard to bottle up the feelings of disgust and anger. He managed to get his next question out in an even tone, "Do you have any idea who they were accepting briberies from?"

"I am pretty sure that the culprit is from only one family, a big one at that." answered the blonde. Said blonde was rather surprised and slightly touched by the feelings that the brunette was expressing. It was gratifying to know that such a man was also a boss; a slight reassurance that the future was not as bleak as he had imagined.

Tsuna interrupted the man's sudden thoughts with another question, "Do you have any leads?"

Giotto gave a small nod, "Actually, I suspect that it is a particular family that is going to be in this meeting."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes, "How many families are attending this meeting? Which family is it?"

"Two other families are attending it. They are both big powerhouses that almost match the Vongola in terms of size. They also posses flame wielders…though it is only their leaders...As to which family I suspect…how about you observe them first before I tell you."

Tsuna frowned. Giotto paused for a moment, before a small smile graced his face, "Funny thing is you're the first advisor that I, myself, handpicked. Most of my advisors have been chosen by my guardian's captains."

Tsuna raised his brow in surprise before smiling. The brunette gave a small bow in respect, "Well then, thank you. I am honored to have been handpicked, even if it was done for the sake of an alibi."

Giotto smile grew before beckoning the brunette to follow, "Let's get going. The meeting is going to start in an hour and the location is a good half an hour away. With G back, I have a bit more leniency in going out. I am rather sick of this office at the moment."

Tsuna could not help but laugh as Giotto shot a disdainful look at his desk. So Tsuna was not alone in his hatred of paper work. He followed the blonde out of the office, closing the door behind them with a quiet click.

As they walked through a hallway lighted by the setting sun, Tsuna could not help but wonder. Sure, so far his encounters with the Vongola were all rather interesting, aside from the stabbing incident. That was something he could have and would have rather done without. He was also grateful that he was the first to be selected by the blonde. The fact that the man chose him meant that the man held him in high regard. Giotto could have simply had him serve under a guardian, yet he chose him to become an advisor.

However, how the previous advisors were brought away for information by money wary about the meeting. It was concerning how some, who probably built up their reputation from scratch, threw it away for money profit. What could have led them to do this? Was it greed for money or simply the wanting to harm the family? Another concerning aspect was the fact that many advisors were mortally wounded. Just how bad could these meetings get for violence to occur? It bothered and angered him to no end. He could not picture any of his men doing such a thing. And here, Giotto talked about it like it was a normal everyday process. Just what were these people thinking?

Adding to the mounting worries was that there was still no telltale sign of him being able to return to his own time. It troubled him to not know what was happening at the moment in his time. How much minutes, or hours, or even days had passed so far? How was his family fairing in his absence? What if another family decided to use this opportunity to stage an attack? All these questions made his stomach churn in concern and his head ache in worry. But he could not do anything about it. He had neither the tools nor the knowledge for creating the weapon that brought him here.

Being so enraptured by his thoughts, Tsuna failed to notice that Giotto had stopped to look out the window. The brunette walked straight into the back of the blonde, causing said man to stagger forward in surprise. "What in the-, Tsuna?"

The clash caused Tsuna to quickly come out of his thoughts. There was a light tint of red that spread on his cheeks as he apologized. Internally, he cursed his sudden lapse in attention. "Sorry. I was thinking about something and didn't realize that you stopped."

Giotto only raised his brow in mild amusement, "It couldn't be that you're worried about the meeting, right? After all I doubt it would be any different from you're meetings, except that it could get to be more violent."

Tsuna shook his head and gave a small laugh, "No. I was just thinking…"

Giotto watched as Tsuna fell back into silence, a frown once again marring his face. Something must be really irking the brunette for him to not revert back into his customary smile. That laugh was also sounded rather forced. Sure he only knew this man for a short while and he was no expert in reading people's minds. But he knew enough of the young adult to know that something was up. His intuition was usually right when it came to such emotions. "You're worried."

Tsuna looked up in surprise, half tempted to say no. However the look in Giotto's eyes made him think otherwise. The brunette looked around before he gave a sigh. It wouldn't hurt to tell the man would it? "Well, I guess I'm worried about what is happening in my time. I don't know how things are going and how much time has passed. For all I know, it could have been days or even mere minutes."

Giotto gave a small nod. It was understandable that the brunette would be worried. After all he had literally no connections with anybody in this time. "Well what is your family like? Do you think your guardians can cope with it?" asked Giotto, more in curiosity than anything else.

Tsuna shrugged, "I wonder if they can. They're idiots."

Giotto could not help but twitch at the deadpanned answer. Tsuna scrunched his brow not noticing the man's reaction, "But they are all very reliable and trustworthy people...when they aren't trying to get at each other's throats. They can all handle a fight and will work together if it's to keep the family safe. They are my closest friends and family."

Giotto chuckled, "Well, then why are you so worried about them? If they are as dependable as you said, then they will have no problems adapting and figuring out a solution to get you back. I believe you also have your tutor that you speak so much about. You just have to be patient. It seems to me that you are not putting enough trust in them yourself."

Tsuna bit back a retort but could not help but give a small smile in the end. It was true after all, he just said it himself. They were all reliable and knew what they were doing, most of the time… He had been gone before for weeks before, so his absence would be nothing new. They could handle it.

Right…? Tsuna could not help but feel a need to bang his head on something. What was he doing? He trusted each of them with his life. Like Giotto said, he shouldn't be worrying.

Tsuna gave a wry smile, "…You're right. I just need to believe that they won't screw up."

Giotto bit back another chuckle, "Good. It wouldn't do, if you went into a daze during the meeting."

Tsuna shrugged, before frowning, "By the way, why did you stop so suddenly?"

Giotto chuckled and pointed towards the side window of the hall. Tsuna followed his gaze and almost broke out in laughter. No wonder. Who wouldn't laugh at that site? The window was in the direction of the courtyard. And in the dimly lit courtyard were two familiar people, G and Rampou.

It turned out that G was rather serious about his threat as he had a pair of sharp scissors out in the open. Rampou looked like he was about to die of fright, his eyes solely focused on the wicked gleam of the sharp instrument. Knuckle was nowhere to be seen.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" asked Tsuna with barely concealed mirth.

Giotto gave a sliver of a smile, "Don't worry. I'm sure Knuckle will come to Rampou's aid soon enough. I have a feeling that it was probably Rampou's own fault. Though it would probably be amusing to continue watching, we have to go." Tsuna gave a small frown. They were really going to leave the poor teen like that?

He took one last look out the window and raised his brow at what he saw. True to Giotto's word, Knuckle did arrive and was now holding G back from the moss haired teen. Said teen had given a sigh of relief and was now sticking his tongue out at the red headed guardian. Tsuna could have sworn he heard a yell of anger but decided maybe it was better to ignore it. He walked quickly to catch up with Giotto who was already at the end of the hall.

Half an hour later, both boss and advisor stood before the door to the meeting room. With the addition of a cape, that housed the Vongola emblem at its clasp, Giotto looked impeccable and intimidating. Tsuna, who flanked the Primo followed laxly as the man entered the room. He wore what he had donned on in the morning with the addition of black cotton gloves, similar to butler gloves in terms of thinness and mobility. Nevertheless, they served their purpose of hiding the rings that he wore. It would not due for people to find out that he happened to have a duplicate of one ring in particular.

After a discussion with Giotto, they had decided that Tsuna would portray himself as more of a timid and hesitant man. Let them get a wrong picture so that there would be less guarded. For Tsuna, that was a simple task. All he had to do was revert back to his pre-teenaged and teenaged years. They entered the room, Giotto calmly leading a… shuffling brunette that looked to be ready to jump at any small noise.

There, already seated were the two family bosses; Scoria of the Conchiglia Family and Vetro of the Sabbia Family. They too were dressed in similar attires to that of Giotto.

Scoria looked to be a man in his late forties. There were strands of white that showed in the straight hazel locks that were cut shoulder length. He had a set of forest green eyes that was surrounded by crinkled skin, a sign that the man laughed a plenty. What was distinguishing about the man was the fact that there was a scar that ran from his lower left cheek to his chin, a knife wound, perhaps. Behind him stood a big burly man, his advisor Silice. He had choppy chestnut hair and a tanned faced that was completely riddled in scars. Even though he had a big stature, Tsuna could tell that it most likely did not hinder his speed. The man probably excelled greatly in hand to hand combat. He would be dangerous as an enemy.

Vetro, on the other hand, looked to fit the same age bracket as Giotto. He was immaculately dressed with naught a strand of clothes or hair out of place. His wavy raven black hair was cut to the nape of his head. He had eyes that were a smoky gray and seemingly lacking in any feelings, though there was a flicker of emotion when he saw who had entered. Behind Vetro was a well-built man that was more on the lanky side, his advisor, Moldavite. This man was just as cleanly dressed as his leader was. He had icy blue eyes and curly sandy hair that was tied. He had an imposing aura and a rigid expression. From Tsuna's point of view, it seemed like the man's expertise was most likely centered on daggers or short swords.

It seemed like these men were more like guards then advisors as Giotto had said. That was enough to put Tsuna on edge as he stood behind the blonde. Just what did he get himself into?

Scoria raised his brow in surprise before moving up to greet the Primo. "Well. You're pretty early today aren't you? It is a pleasure to see you again." The two men shook hands in greeting.

Giotto smiled, "I could say the same to you Scoria. I guess it is a turn for the better. Then again this could be only a one time occurrence."

Scoria broke into a slew of laughter, "Hahaha, Vongola you never cease to amuse me."

Giotto turned to Vetro and nodded to the still seated man. "Evening, Vetro. You're timely as always."

Vetro only gave a nod of acknowledgement before going back to what previously occupied his time, papers. Meanwhile Scoria seemed to finally notice the brunette that was standing inconspicuously behind Giotto. "Well, well. Who is that young man behind you, Vongola? And why is he here?"

Tsuna seemed to become smaller in size as all sights moved towards him.

At that comment Vetro also looked up. Giotto gave a small smile and beckoned Tsuna to stand next to him, "This is my new advisor, Tsuna."

Tsuna gave a small innocuous smile and gave a stiff bowed at the two bosses, "Pl-pleasure to meet you all."

There was a moment of silence as the bosses stared at the brunette. This…brunette looked like he could be broken in a matter of seconds! Just what was Giotto thinking? The first to break the silence was Scoria.

"You got an advisor?" sputtered Scoria in blatant disbelief.

Vetro raised his brow, "I could have sworn that you said that you weren't planning on ever getting one. What brought this change of plans?"

Giotto moved to take an empty seat, "Nothing in particular." Tsuna followed the blonde almost tripping over himself before taking a position behind the man.

"That is just begging for people to pry around." muttered Vetro clearly annoyed by the lack of answers. Just what was Giotto thinking in getting such a man?

Scoria just shrugged before turning back to the brunette in curiosity, "He doesn't look like much. Rather small stature if I do say so myself."

Giotto raised his brow, "I thought you knew better than to judge people by appearances after what happened last time. Did you not learn from that?"

There was a slight growl from Silice. The man began to move only to be stopped by Scoria who held up a hand. The Conchiglia boss scrunched his face in distaste, "Let us not go there. I mean seriously look at that man. He looks like a stick!"

Vetro watched on in mild interest as he noticed something that neither Silice nor Scoria had as they had their sights set on Giotto. He had seen the brunette advisor tense when Silice started to move. The man, Tsuna was it, had watched Scoria's advisor with cold unreadable eyes, looking ready to spring at any given notice of aggression. His stance clearly showed that he was practiced fighter. After Scoria called off Silice, the brunette quickly reverted back to the awkward mess he originally started out as. He acted as if nothing ever happened. Vetro would have almost believed the whole farce had he not saw what had occurred before. The Sabbia boss could feel a shift in movement behind him. Moldavite probably noticed as well. Interesting; just who was this man and what else was he hiding.

Unknown to what transgressed, Giotto stared at Scoria and continued, "Please do not make half baked comments. I chose him as my advisor."

Vetro let loose a small chuckle, "He got you there, Scoria. You have nothing to say to that."

Scoria shot a glare at the two men and rolled his eyes, "Young people these days, no respect."

Giotto gave a small shrug before motioning for Tsuna, who had been standing behind him. The blonde looked through the papers on the table before picking out a small stack. He dropped the pile into Tsuna's hands, "These are all the past expenditures and allotments. It's best if you memorize them."

Tsuna nodded, eyes completely wide at the prospect of getting important papers, "Yes, s-sir."

Surprisingly, the brunette was quick to take in the information. He was already flipping through the second page, skimming the data at a surprising speed. However this was not the reason for the sudden silence that descended the room. Giotto observed the two bosses before him in amusement as neither were able to hide their expressions of shock. Even the advisors looked slightly surprised. Said bosses housed stunned looks to various degrees. Did he just do what they saw he did?

They both knew about the problem Giotto had with advisors as well as the tales of what happened to said advisors. The last one mysteriously vanished into thin air after it was found that he was leaking out monetary information. Though it was never spoken of, people had wondered about it, speaking in whispers. Rumors that it was the Vongola boss that personally 'disposed' of the man though solid proof was never found. The man simply vanished.

They were sure that the man was never likely to accept another advisor after that incident. The fact that he had arrived to multiple meetings alone was a sure sign of that. And yet here he was, bring along and giving the petite brunette private records. This in itself spoke volumes. Never had Giotto done this with any of his past advisors when he had them attend. Just what was going on? Who was this man to the Vongola boss?

Giotto only raised his brow as the two men that continued to stare at him. "Is something the matter? I thought this meeting was going to be short."

Scoria widened his eyes for a fraction of a second before narrowing his eyes. However, that was but for a fleeting moment, as he shrugged and his face gave way to a small grin. Had one not paid any attention, he or she would not have always thought that the man was jovial, "Just surprised. I never thought that you would actually do something like that."

The Conchiglia boss then turned and drew his advisor into a whispering conversation. Giotto eyed the man before setting his gaze on Vetro.

Vetro simply arched his brow in mild surprise, "Nothing really. It is just like Scoria said. It's surprising that you are so willingly giving information like that. …I could have sworn you were decidedly against the idea of ever having an advisor."

Giotto gave a half smile, "Maybe I had a change of heart and decided I could…expect reliance from my advisor."

Vetro let out a dry laugh, "I find that rather hard to believe."

He then looked at the blond man with unreadable eyes. "Just what are you planning?"

"Why…, nothing. Not a thing at all. You either believe me or not." stated Giotto, his smile becoming fuller, clearly unbothered by the threat. However, he did match the man's expressionless face with his frigid blue eyes as if daring the man to overturn his statement; Vetro was first to turn away. The ebony haired man began shuffling through his papers once more. Giotto stared at the man for another second before picking up a particular paper that had previously caught his eyes. The only sounds in the room were that of paper being moved and Scoria, who had continued speaking with his advisor.

Tsuna, who had long finished looking and memorizing the papers, was simply observing the two bosses and their advisors. So far he could not really gauge who would be the more dangerous of the two. The two were like opposites; where Scoria had a pleasant and easygoing presence, Vetro was cold and detached. However they both exuded a powerful presence. He did not miss that, more often than not, Silice and Scoria would glance at Giotto before talking to each other. Nor did Tsuna miss the look that passed between Vetro and Moldavite when they saw what he did. He was sure that they saw through his act, however, unless they were going to say something about it, he would continue. Tsuna still could not decide which family was the culprit. They were both equally suspicious but which was the more dangerous?

Tsuna's observations were interrupted by a sudden bang from the hallway outside. Everybody in the room visibly tensed. For a moment there was absolute silence before the door opened to a flood of men; men brandishing weapons. They were all dressed in black suits. There was nothing that could be seen to have them associated with any family. A shout from one of the men launched the mob into charging, "Destroy the bosses! Leave no one standing. Today we will end these families!"

Tsuna instantly sprung into action. He moved quickly to halt the rush, disarming and knocking out any man that came at his direction. However he forced himself to fight awkwardly. No matter what happened, he was to portray himself as somewhat competent, though the back of his mind was definitely berating his actions. Moldavite and Silice were quick to join. From his limited sight, Tsuna could see that Silice was using some sort of brass knuckles to beat back the attackers. Moldavite was utilizing two thin steel daggers that looked to be doubled edged. Both advisors were aiming to kill. As much as Tsuna disapproved the idea, the fact that all these suited men were aiming to kill or mortal wound left him no other option but to follow along.

Meanwhile, Giotto, Scoria, and Vetro seemed to be heated argument. It ended abruptly when Giotto spoke and slammed his fist down on the table. While Scoria showed signs of wanting to continue, Vetro simply shook his head and said something. Without another word, some papers were taken by each of the men and tucked away. The rest were lit on fire. The three had triggered their dying will flames.

Surprisingly, neither Scoria nor Vetro possessed the sky flames as Giotto did. Scoria had what seemed to be the storm flame while Vetro harnessed the Lightning flame. All of them favored hand to hand combat and soon they too began fighting the rush of attackers. Each had a different means of using their flames. Scoria's seemed to leave burn marks upon impact causing men going his way to drop down howling as the burns ate through skin. Vetro on the other hand left all his assailants writhing on the ground in pain as the shock of his flame left them in a painfully stunned silence.

As tempted as he was to use his flame, Tsuna held back. It was decided long before the meeting that he was to not show a hint of possessing the dying will flame. His gloves simply stayed hidden in the inside of his suit. It didn't help that he was limiting his movements in hand to hand combat. It didn't help that the tidal wave of men seemed to last forever even with the additional help of the three men. It didn't help that the attackers were no small fry either. He had to say compared to the ones that were chasing Rampou, these men were definitely on a higher level. But he kept going.

At one point he came back to back with Moldavite. "You are doing rather well for a novice advisor. Even I was a bit slow to start compared to you when they came in." commented the sandy haired man as he effortlessly sliced through the arm of his current attacker.

Tsuna struck a man before him unconscious and gave a small shake, "Ii-t was…instinct or beginners luck."

Moldavite gave a small chuckle, surprising Tsuna. He had thought the man stern. Said man seemed to notice his astonish and smirked, "Did you think that I was incapable of expressing emotion? Did you think I wouldn't notice that you are holding back?"

Tsuna stiffened before shrugging, "I…am as you said a novice. I just started this advisory position…I am not as capable as you say."

Moldavite chuckled once more, "You're a funny one aren't you. We'll see how long that façade of yours lasts. I look forward to seeing you in future." With that the man started moving towards his leader, leaving a trail of bloodied men on the ground. Tsuna watched the Sabbia advisor for a moment before returning his sights to the attacking men. He could not help but wonder if Moldavite purposefully made that encounter occur. However, he dropped his ponderings. He needed to focus and focus he did.

In fact, for a good fifteen minutes, Tsuna fought alone. The room was still crowded, and he was only able to catch small glimpses of Giotto and the others. Frankly, it looked like the amount of armed men had yet to decrease though the amount of people on the ground clearly indicated otherwise. He had to say, he was starting to break a sweat. It was surprisingly hard to keep up his fighting stance. Half the time, his mind screamed at him to revert back to his original style.

Just as he turned to knock another man down, a pang spiked through his side. He could not help but flinch at the sudden pain and curse. However that one instant cost him as one of the men noticed and took advantage. In a second, the brunette was launched across the room towards the entrance, which had ceased producing the enemy. As if sensing his moment of weakness, a good chunk of the men began swarming towards the brunette. Said brunette could attack so many at one time. He could not help but curse his handicap which now included the wound that he had forgotten about. Hopefully, Knuckle's healing would hold the skin together long enough for him to survive this bout.

Luckily for him, Giotto was fast to realize that his advisor was sorely outnumbered and quickly moved to help the brunette with the mob. Between the two, it was easily dispatched. "That was some strike that he landed on you. I'm rather surprised." muttered Giotto as they stopped to take a small breather. The room was slowly emptying as Scoria and Vetro finished off the rest of the men.

Tsuna grimaced, "I was careless. My apologies" He was clearly unhappy about what had happened.

Giotto raised his brow, deactivating his flame, "You can beat yourself up later. We need to leave. I heard one of the men shout that there was going to be reinforcements."

"What about the meeting?" asked Tsuna, confusion showing on his face. Giotto shook his head and beckoned the brunette to follow, "It's been settled. We all have the finalized copies. We're all leaving." True to what Giotto said, Vetro and Moldavite were already gone while Scoria and Silice could be seen exiting through a balcony window. That just left the two of them.

"Alright, let's get out of here," murmured Tsuna. He needed to get to someplace safe to check on the injury. Giotto nodded. They slipped out into the alleyway and moved quickly through the streets. It was already dark. The moon was out, though only as a crescent. When they were a good deal away from the building, the two slowed into a more reasonable pace. If anything, they looked as if they were getting ready to go to a pub to get some drinks after a hard day's work. Not two men who were recently ambushed and fighting.

"I have to say, you did a pretty good job with your acting. I almost believed it," commented Giotto as they turned to a different block. They were nearing the Vongola estate, another three to five minutes.

Tsuna grimaced, "I think that Vetro and Moldavite saw through it. Well, Moldavite personally told me that he saw through it. I don't know about Silice and Scoria."

Giotto raised his brow, "That is surprising. Moldavite usually ignored all the advisors that I brought. I would have to say that he is strong, on par to most of my guardians in terms of skill."

"Great. I rather have been ignored," grumbled Tsuna. Giotto laughed quietly, mindful of the time and location they were in. They walked in a companionable silence. As they approached the estate, Giotto beckoned the brunette to a side door that was almost unnoticeable as it was covered with shrubbery. It opened to a dimly lit hallway. Well they were inside alright, but the question was where? After passing a few more doors, Giotto finally chose one to go in. The room they entered was sparsely decorated. There was a small mahogany cabinet that stood a good five feet in height. Next to the cabinet, was a sofa that looked to be able to sit three people comfortably. In the middle of the room were four cushioned chairs and a round table. A lamp that stood on the table was lit by Giotto, making the room flicker from the light that the lamp exuded. There were also two doors, aside from the one they entered through, that led to who knows what.

"Take a seat for now. I will be back in a moment." Before the brunette could make a comment, the man entered one of the doors and closed it with a small click. Well…that was rather unexpected. Tsuna looked around once more before taking a seat. He almost shot straight back up when he accidently banged his side against the table. He had forgotten. He quickly pulled up his clothes to look at his side. He scrunched up his face at what he saw. Though the stab wound did not open, there was a nasty bruise forming from the hit that man made. Just what was he hit with?

"Well that does not look too good."

Tsuna looked up to the voice. It was Giotto. The man was carrying a squat bottle that was enclosed by a fiasco. It looked like some sort of wine. He set down the bottle and moved to the cabinet. After a moment of rummaging, he managed to procure two small glass tumblers and a tiny bottle.

"Here, use this. It's an ointment Knuckle made. I recommend it; very good on bruises," said Giotto, tossing the bottle to Tsuna. Tsuna caught it with a hand and opened it. He wrinkled his nose at the strong smell of probably a mixture of herbs. "Thanks," Tsuna muttered, before applying the concoction on his injury.

While Tsuna busied himself with the ointment, Giotto placed down the tumblers and opened the bottle of wine.

Tsuna eyed the bottle curiously as he placed the ointment on the table, "What type of wine?"

"Red, Chianti. I received it recently as a gift from a family that owns a brewery," replied Giotto, pouring a generous amount for each cup before giving one to the brunette Mafioso. He then took a seat across the man and proceeded to taking a sip from his tumbler.

Tsuna held his tumbler before him. He was not all that fond of drinking wine offered during gatherings, though he held in liquor well. Their flavors were just either too strong or weak for his taste. He looked at the one he held. The wine color was a deep clear ruby, similar to that of pomegranates. There was a fruity aroma that he could not quite place, a berry of some sort.

He stole a glance at Giotto. The man had already downed half of his cup and raised his when he saw that Tsuna had yet to take even a taste. "It is not poisoned if that is what you are worried about."

The brunette shrugged, taking a drink and widened his eyes in surprise. There was an intense note of ripe cherries followed by a delicate spicy note, enveloping his taste buds. Before he knew it, he too was down to a half a cup. Giotto chuckled at the man's sudden enthusiasm. "I see you like it. This is one of my favorites."

After taking another sip, Tsuna could not help but voice a question, "Do you usually do this after every meeting?"

Giotto shook his head, a tired smile on his face, "Once in a while, when things get really hectic. I like to hole myself here and drink myself to a stupor," joked the blonde.

Tsuna chuckled, "Speaking of which, during the meeting, what-"

There was a soft knock at the door. Giotto furrowed his brow before moving to open it. "…I didn't expect to see you here. What happened to staying in the courtyard?"

"I did not expect to see you here as well."

Tsuna frowned. Who was it?

* * *

Eh he he. I know i rushed it and there are probably grammar mistakes, but I am currently short on time. Sorry! Nevertheless, I hope you all liked it! Feel free to comment and critique!


	9. Chapter IX

Next chapter here. I'm sorry for the lack of writing. I have been busy with work and settling into college. So its been rather hectic! Anyway here is the next chapter, i hope you all enjoy! THANK YOU ALL for commenting and being here to see the next chapter! You guys are awesome. Thank you again.

* * *

As Giotto began talking with the stranger, he moved to lean against the doorway. Tsuna could only frown as his view of the stranger was now blocked by both the door and Giotto's back. The brunette swirled what was left of the wine in his cup and gave a quiet sigh. He would just have to make do with listening. He took a long swig, finishing the last of the contents. With that done, he put down his now empty glass and turned his attention towards the conversation.

"I haven't seen you in a while." commented Giotto, one brow raised in mild amusement.

The man before him chuckled and gave a small grin, "Maybe if you didn't hole yourself in that office of yours every day, you'd see more of me. After all, I am not a hard person to find."

"True, it has been a while. I do regret not having been able to listen to your music," said Giotto with a small smile.

"I know." There was a moment of silence before the man continued, ""Well, you are welcome to join me when you have time. I was actually planning to go see G and Knuckle."

"Ah, yes. The last time I saw them, G was preoccupied with attempting to shear off Rampou's hair." said Giotto.

The man laughed, "I take it that G had not gotten over the suit incident has he?"

"Of course not," replied Giotto.

The man shook his head, amusement written all over his face, "You had something to do with that whole incident don't you?"

Giotto gave a small secretive smile, "Why…Never. I am, after all, too busy with work to even have time to think of something like that."

"I see that your slyness has yet to change," said the man with a grin.

Giotto chuckled and shook his head, "Maybe. But enough about me, why don't you come in for a little while? There is someone who I want you to meet." said Giotto, gesturing for the man to come in.

At that remark Tsuna could not help but quickly rise, clearly unprepared for the sudden turn of events. When the man entered, the brunette could not help but raise his brow in surprise as he realized just what the stranger was wearing.

If Tsuna remembered his history correctly, then the wafuku that the man wore was a Nôshi sugata styled outfit, a casual-like outfit that was commonly worn amongst court nobles in the past. The outer garment of the outfit was a stark white while the inner parts, that could be seen, were a deep blue. On the man's head was a black eboshi and in his hand, a simply crafted flute. He had a striking resemblance to Yamamoto... down to the ever present and friendly smile.

Wait. Now that he thought about it, Rampou did mention someone who had an interest in music. But what was that man's name? He knew it started with an 'A'. Asaru? Arisa? He bit back a groan of irritation; he should have paid more attention. Said man also had a small look of surprise on his face. However, the shock dissipated into a curious smile.

"This is Tsuna, my new advisor. Tsuna this is my one of my good friends and guardian, Asari Ugetsu," introduced Giotto. Tsuna nodded and gave a formal bow. Asari raised his brow in surprise but returned the bow with a nod. "It is a pleasure to meet one who is familiar with Japanese etiquette," said Asari, with a friendly smile.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well." replied Tsuna with a small smile.

Asari furrowed his brows in curiosity, "You are not from around here. There is a faint accent." He said it as if it were a fact.

Tsuna froze for a moment before nodding, "Yes. I was originally from Japan."

The expression on Asari's face was definitely one of surprise, "Well, I would have never guessed that that was your origin. You speak as if you are a native of Italy. I was thinking maybe from the southern regions."

Tsuna gave a small laugh and shrugged, "I have had a lot of practice. I guess it paid off."

"I see. And now you are the new advisor. How is it that you come to know Giotto?" asked Asari, eyeing the brunette with curiosity.

"We…chanced to meet in Japan. I was in a tight pinch but Giotto came through for me," Supplied Tsuna.

Asari crossed his arms and frowned, "That's strange. I should have met you then. Your face does not look familiar."

Tsuna gave a tight smile, "Well about that,-"

"It was before you and I met, Asari," Giotto interrupted, "He was accosted by a gang. I decided to interfere and help him, seeing that he was outnumbered."

Asari raised his brow, "You have never mentioned something like this before."

This time, it was Tsuna who interjected, "Ah. See, I requested that he keep it a secret… I did not want it to spread. Please accept my apologies for making him keep this from you all," said the brunette apologetically.

Asari eyed the two men before giving a slow nod, "I see… So, how are you settling in as an advisor?"

Tsuna gave a small smile, "Well, it would have been nice if someone had been more in-depth in explaining." said Tsuna, lightly accusing the blonde, "I did not expect to be put in such a… high position."

Giotto chuckled before motioning for the two to sit down. "Sit and have a drink with us, Asari." said the blonde as he retrieved another tumbler from the cabinet, "I just opened this bottle."

Asari raised his brow but settled himself in one of the seats, "This is new; you voluntarily getting a drink."

Giotto smiled as he finished filling and refilling the tumblers, "We just came back from the meeting, believe me it warranted for one."

Asari looked at him with surprise, "Usually, it's us trying to drag you here."

Giotto chuckled as he passed the tumbler to Asari who accepted it. "Now that's not true. There are times that I come voluntarily," said the blonde, rebuking the Japanese man.

Asari only raised his brow, "More so than that, I didn't think that you would ever bring anybody down here voluntarily, especially an advisor."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes at the blonde. Was he not supposed to be here? Was this room only designated for certain people? He assumed that when Asari meant 'we', he was referring to the other guardians. So did that mean that Giotto trusted him? Or was this simply a ploy?

Neither Asari nor Giotto noticed the brunette's sudden confusion. "He is the one I personally handpicked. I will not have it any other way" said Giotto, a determined glint in his eyes.

Asari stared at Giotto silently. After a tense pause Asari gave a sigh, yielding. "Very well, I will trust your judgment in this matter. However I don't see how you will get the others to accept him." With that said, Asari took a small sip from the cup.

Giotto gave a warm smile, "Thank you, Asari."

"Speaking of which, how was the meeting?" asked the Asari in mild curiosity.

Giotto took a small drink from his glass, his previous laxness gone and replaced with a more serious face, "We were attacked again."

Asari frowned as Giotto continued, "This is getting out of hand. It was at least double the amount from the last meet. They had reinforcements as well."

The Japanese man narrowed his eyes, smile completely erased from his face, "So it is definitely one of them."

Giotto nodded solemnly, "Only Vetro and Scoria had access to the location."

"Is there any way for us to identify who it actually is?" asked Asari before taking another drink from his cup.

Giotto shook his head, "Not yet. But we are boxing him in and he knows it."

Asari eyed the man worriedly, "Sooner or later, he's going to strike. It's not going to be a small battle. You know that."

"I know. Hopefully, we will be prepared," said Giotto quietly.

Asari let out another sigh before drinking the last of the contents that remained in his cup, "I'll be taking my leave. I'm pretty sure that those two are getting impatient."

Giotto chuckled, the somber look on his facing dissipating as quickly as it came, "Very well. I will see you tomorrow for the assignment."

Asari gave a small smile and nodded, "I'll see you in the morning. Don't go too overboard with work. Good night, Giotto, Tsuna." With that, the man gracefully left the room, closing the door with a soft click.

There was a moment of silence before Tsuna deemed it wise to talk, "So this…problem has been going on for a while now."

Giotto only nodded absentmindedly as he held his empty cup, "Things have been getting a lot more hectic lately. Recently, there has been an abnormal spike in attacks during missions."

Tsuna frowned, "Would the mission that Rampou was on be considered one of those?"

"Yes," said Giotto softly.

The brunette's frown only deepened, "You said you would tell me which family you suspected."

At this, Giotto looked up, for the first time since Asari left, and stared at the brunette before him, "Tell me. What do you think of the two men?"

Tsuna raised his brow in mild surprise before looking towards the table, "…How do I say it. It feels as if they are both hiding something, especially Scoria. When he started talking to Silice, I felt as if they were planning something. I don't think it was a beneficial plan either."

Giotto nodded grimly, "What about Vetro?"

Tsuna furrowed his brow, "He's very reserved, when you compare him to Scoria. But, he isn't stupid; he's quick to notice things, a bit on the cautious side though…"

"I see. Well, for the most part, you are correct in your assumptions on the both of them," said Giotto as he moved to get up, taking the empty cups with him. "However, you haven't told me who you suspected."

Tsuna, who had also gotten up to help, paused midway from lifting the empty wine bottle, "…I can't really say right now. There is still too much I don't know about either family, their bosses especially."

Giotto chuckled, "Very good. I see you are smart enough to not automatically jump to conclusions."

Tsuna shot the blonde a withering glare, "Very funny. I don't suppose you are planning to tell me even if I told you who I suspected" muttered the brunette, as he handed the empty bottle to the man. Giotto shrugged, "We'll see."

Giotto quickly took all the glass and disappeared into the wine room. As Tsuna waited for the man, he could not help but wonder what he had just gotten himself into? This, conflict between these families seemed to have been going on for a while. Considering Asari's reaction, as well as what he had heard from Giotto, it did not seem like things were going well. In fact, it sounded like things were getting downright dangerous. The idea that men were being ambushed on missions made the job all the more hazardous. Tsuna could not help but feel as if he had just gotten himself into a very risky situation. But then again, this always happened to him. Like Reborn said, he had a knack for getting into the worst kind of trouble.

At that thought, Giotto re-entered the room, empty handed. "Come, we need to make a trip to the library. I have to pick up some books and papers," said the blonde, beckoning Tsuna to follow.

As they walked through the halls and headed to the staircase, Tsuna remembered something that had been bothering him; something about the meeting. "Giotto. At that time, when we were ambushed, the three of you were arguing about something."

Giotto eyed the man before him and gave a small smile, "Trust you to notice everything. Then again, you are a rather observant person." Tsuna raised his brow, a bit offended. Was it not his job to notice things?

Giotto only chuckled, before answering the brunette's question, "Well, there were two things. First, was the decision of the next location; secondly, was the proportions given. Scoria was not satisfied with the amount he was given, even though he did receive the greatest allotment."

"…And what was Vetro's opinion concerning this?" asked Tsuna, a contemplative look on his face.

Giotto sighed, "He expressed his disapproval for Scoria. In the end, Scoria could not do much when it was two against one."

"…I see," muttered Tsuna, a thoughtful look on his face.

It was silent as they walked the final steps to the library. When they entered the library, Tsuna had to pause for a moment to take in the sight. Even though the library of his time was a great deal bigger, in terms of size and amount of literature, this was just as grand. There were a lot more books than he had initially expected as the shelves upon shelves were filled with books. Giotto beckoned the brunette to follow. They had some things they needed to find.

* * *

In a different location, namely the courtyard, were two people; Knuckle and G. Said people were waiting for a particular third to make his entrance. "I thought you said that he would be here," muttered G.

Knuckle rolled his eyes, "Patience, G."

The two were lounging on the grass. G sat, leaning on a tree while Knuckle simply sat crossed legged.

"Well, are you not glad that I am here now?" The two turned to the source of the voice. It was Asari.

"Where were you?" asked G accusingly.

Asari gave a small smile, "Meeting somebody. I see you made it back safely, as always, G."

G shot the man a mild glare, "Of course. I never fail."

"So where were you, Asari?" asked Knuckle in curiosity. "You're later than usual."

Asari chuckled before taking a seat on the grass. "I was meeting the new advisor."

Knuckle raised his brow in surprise, "You met Tsuna."

G rolled his eyes before asking, "What do you think of him?"

Asari raised his brow before giving a small shrug, "Truthfully, the man does not look like much. I do not really understand why Giotto chose him, of all the people we have."

G nodded, "That was exactly what I thought."

"Rampou claims that the group that attacked him was completely defeated by Tsuna," said Knuckle.

G and Asari traded glances, turning to Knuckle in question. "I heard that there was an incident with that mission, something about an ambush," commented Asari.

Knuckle sighed, "I only saw the aftermath. I did not see what happened, but it was definitely something to wonder about."

"And what of the aftermath?" asked Asari, his curiosity piqued.

Knuckle frowned, "The leader was killed. The others were on the brink of death or severely maimed to the point where they would not bet able to be of service."

G raised his brow, "So he can fight. What of it? I heard he was gravely injured or something."

"The only reason he suffered that wound was because he was stabbed by the leader trying to protect Rampou. Other than that, he sustained no other injuries." said Knuckle.

"Are you implying that the man is a fighter?"

Knuckle gave G a hard look, "What else would you think from that? He even said that he was involved with the mafia of Japan."

Asari narrowed his eyes, "If he were, then I should have seen him. However, his face is unfamiliar to me. I have never seen him at any of the gatherings in Japan."

"It was also strange when Giotto requested that he be brought back. There was no sign of recognition in his eyes, unless he hid it. Yet the next day, he seemed to welcome the man with open arms."

"Well that is certainly a strange move on Giotto's part," said Asari, a thoughtful look on his face.

G scowled, "That man can be so unreasonable sometimes."

"But the strangest, no, the most suspicious thing was how fast the man bounced back from the wound," muttered Knuckle, more to himself then to those around him.

Asari frowned, "What do you mean?"

"An average man with the wound he had gotten would have still been unconscious, even with my aid. They should be bedridden for days to weeks."

G furrowed his brow at the implication. Knuckle continued, "Yet, this man woke up mere hours from the incident and not only that, was able to move around the next day as if nothing was wrong. The man is use to combat. He is use to getting injured."

Asari and G traded looks as they digested the information. "Just what do we know about this guy?" muttered G.

"He met Giotto in Japan. Apparently, from what I just heard, Giotto helped him when he was being targeted by a group of men," supplied Asari.

"Not only that, but they also kept in touch after. Giotto was the one that offered Tsuna the position," added Knuckle.

Asari frowned, "But why now? If Giotto had such a person he trusted, why not ask him to do it earlier?"

G furrowed his brow before sighing, "We all know that Giotto tends to leave out a lot of things."

Knuckle chuckled before sobering up, "But don't you think that this was something he should have told us?"

"I agree with Knuckle concerning this. Giotto said he met him in Japan. I never knew that such a thing happened," said Asari, "It makes me wonder, just what is Giotto thinking?"

"Look, I can't read Giotto's mind." said G, a look of annoyance on his face as Asari looked at him.

"But we all know that Giotto would never choose someone who will harm the family," Knuckle quickly added, "You know, I can ask Alaude to go look up information on Tsuna."

G scoffed while Asari raised his brow, "Really… Will he listen to you?"

Knuckle shrugged, "He owes me a favor."

G abruptly rose, "Well if this is all done, then I will be taking my leave." With that said the red haired man exited the courtyard, leaving Asari and Knuckle.

The two traded glances before Knuckle gave a small shrug, "I feel that he is just annoyed that Giotto never told him about Tsuna."

"Well, he is his best man; it's strange in itself that G didn't know about Tsuna, at all," said Asari before getting up, "I guess I shall go too. I will see you tomorrow then."

Knuckle nodded, "Yes, tomorrow."

* * *

"This is a lot of books for a light read…" commented Tsuna as he held a growing pile of books, "Are you sure that you will have time to read this?"

Giotto gave a small smile, "Oh, this isn't for me. This is for you."

Tsuna gave a small grimace, "…Thank you. I appreciate it."

Giotto chuckled, "Don't worry; these are all pretty short and straight forward. I am sure that you will have no problems going through them."

Tsuna gave a tight smile, internally wailing at the prospect of more reading. Heck, he had yet to look through the papers and books that Giotto had given him earlier in the morning. At this rate, he was definitely going to have a long night to look forward to if he wanted to finish any time soon.

"I think…I will head to my room." said Tsuna with a sigh, "These books aren't going to finish themselves."

Giotto raised his brow in mild amusement, before turning back to the shelves with a wave, "Go ahead, I probably will be here for a while. Good Night."

"Good night," said Tsuna. The blonde turned into another row of shelves, leaving the brunette by himself. Said brunette gave a small sigh before leaving the room.

He had not walked more then a couple of yards when Giotto called out for him, "Tsuna. I forgot to mention something."

Tsuna turned to the blonde, with a questioning look. "I need you to come early tomorrow, around 8 o'clock. There is an assignment I need you to carry out. Don't worry; you'll have Knuckle to accompany you."

Tsuna furrowed his brow at the sudden request, but before he could even comment, Giotto was already gone. Tsuna sighed and continued to walk again. He had a feeling that he was not going to like the mission. Hopefully it would be better than the meeting but that was just wishful thinking. Maybe he could get out of it somehow… Would pretending to be sick still work? No, that was too childish, even for him.

So caught up in his thoughts, he did not realize there was someone in front of him until it was too late. His books fell all over the floor. It was a group of men, three of them. "Hey, watch where you're going." Snarled who seemed to be the leader of the three, "I don't want some outsider's scum on my clothes." The man looked to be in his thirties, with straight black hair that was cut at the nape of his head. His eyes were a dark brown and were currently trained at him with a glare.

Tsuna narrowed his eyes, "I… am sorry." said Tsuna quietly, before moving to pick up the books. Just as he reached for one in front of him, a shoe came down onto his hand. Hard.

He grimaced before glaring at the man, "Let go."

Said man paid no heed to the glare, instead sneering, "So I heard that you are the new advisor, huh? I don't see anything special about you."

Tsuna did not say a word, instead he pulled his hand away from the foot with enough force to send the man sprawling. He ignored the bruise that had formed on the back of his hand and instead picked up the book, dusting of the dirt. He was not in the mood for this.

The man who was being helped up by his companions quickly pushed them away. He grabbed Tsuna by the collar, and hissed at the brunette, "You think you can walk just walk around with all the guardians like you're something? Watch soon, you'll be just like all the other ones. Completely destroyed,"

Tsuna stared at the man blankly, eyes emotionless, "Oh really?"

The glaring match was interrupted when one of the men called, "Ira, someone's coming. Let's go." The man, Ira, was first to look away, shoving Tsuna to the side and into the wall, "I suggest you give up being an advisor, if you want to live," said Ira with another glare before leaving.

Tsuna watched the three disappear around a corner, a deep frown on his face. Who were they and just what did that man mean by all the others? What in the world was going on? As he bent to pick up the scattered books, he saw another pair of legs before him. Looking up, found himself staring at G.

The red haired man had a contemplative look on his face as he stared at the brunette. Tsuna gave a tense smile, "Hello, G."

G stared at the brunette before shaking his head. He then bent down to pick up the dropped books. When all the items were once again in his possession Tsuna turned to the man. "Thank you."

The only hint of acknowledgment was a small nod. Tsuna gave a thin smile and began walking once more, albeit more quickly. He was not in the mood for another showdown. He was irritated and confused but above all that, tired. Just as he reached a certain corner, however, G called out.

"Hey, advisor. What happened to your hand?"

Tsuna stiffened for a moment before turning to G, a small smile on his face, "Just a little scratch. Nothing really. Good night."

G watched as the brunette quickly retreated, before taking out a cigarette and lighting it. He eyed the empty space, where the brunette last stood, a brooding look on his face, "Nothing…Eh?"

G had seen what happened though he hadn't heard what was being discussed. Just what was going on? The brunette made no effort to fight back, though it was clear that he was angry. G gave a small growl. "Knuckle had better get some information tomorrow." muttered G to nobody in particular. The red haired man had a feeling that things were going to erupt. Soon.

* * *

I'm sorry that it was so short this time, but i'll try to increase the amount. Hopefully I will get the next chapter out soon. Once again thank you all for reviewing and I hope you will continue to comment and critique.

Thank you!


	10. Chapter X

I apologize for the long absence since it was mostly fault... I do plan to update sooner. I Promise. Thank you all for coming back to read this. And thank you so much for all your reviews and comments. Really appreciate it. Also, I hope everybody had a nice holiday and have a Early Merry New Year! Enjoy!

* * *

When Tsuna returned to his room, he paused to drop the books on the desk before heading straight into the bathroom. Once inside, he quickly opened the water valve to its fullest torrent and dunked his head into the rush of water. He gave a sharp intake as cold liquid enveloped his face. After few more seconds he retreated from the chilly gush, shutting the water off. Droplets of water splattered all over the floor and walls as he gave his head a small shake.

He braced himself on the sink and stared at the mirror that hung in front of him. He could not help but give a weak chuckle at the sight. He looked like a drowning puppy, his hair matting and clinging to the sides of his face. However, the humor of the situation did not last long as his thoughts were quick to return to what had happened previously. His grasp on the sink tightened to the point that the bruise on his left hand started to throb in pain.

He had wanted to so desperately slip from his charade at that moment. Just who did these men think they were? Had the three men stayed and continued, he was pretty sure that he would have done something that he would later regret.

To make matters worse, after their departure, G appeared. The red haired man was quick to spot the injury that Tsuna received and just as quick to ask. Though Tsuna gave the excuse of it being but a small scratch, he was sure that G did not buy it. He had a feeling that G had witnessed at least some of what had happened for him to question it.

The brunette sighed, the anger leaving him as quickly as it came. The fact that he was riled up to this degree showed just how tired he was. Normally, he would never entertain such thoughts. Then again, it had been a long day and his patience was wearing thin. With that, the brunette was quick to discard his clothes and step into the shower. As hot water came drizzling down, he was half tempted to simply fall asleep right then and there. However, the idea of waking up looking like a prune was not an appealing thought.

Minutes later, he emerged from the shower, clean and refreshed. He slipped on the night garments that he found in one of the drawers and plopped down onto the plush bed. As he began to dry his hair, his eyes wandered to the papers and books that have yet to be read.

It was tempting to just ignore all the work and fall asleep. Maybe if he glared at it long enough, it would disappear... However, from his experience, any put off work tended to multiple. He gave a small sigh before getting up, dropping the towel on the bed. He settled down into the chair and began sorting through the items on the desk, his body quick to fall into the routine of deskwork.

He piled the books to the side; he would read the books some other time. The reports, on the other hand, could not wait. He skimmed through the ones that concerned business transactions, most of the information he had already pieced together while working with Giotto. It was dry material filled with numbers that needed to be memorized. Thankfully, Giotto only gave him a small amount to look through for that.

What he really was looking for was the papers concerning the alliance made by the Vongola Family. After shuffling through some more files, he found it. The amount of information was surprisingly small, but it had enough to catch the brunette's attention. The Vongola had been in an alliance with the Conchiglia Family and the Sabbia Family for roughly a year and a half.

The Conchiglia Family, which had only been established two years, had doubled the amount of people as compared to the other two families in the alliance. Tsuna frowned. How did Scoria obtain so much people in such a short amount of time? That was just shy of impossible; the papers gave no indications as to how or why this happened. Then there was the Sabbia family. This man, Vetro, literally had solid connections in every continent. The fact that the family had so much influence with that many outside countries definitely made Vetro a viable person to have around; especially concerning international business transgressions and outside influence. It was known that before his succession, Vetro personally travelled to each and every area to secure the partnerships.

The Vongola family seemed to be the middleman of the alliance. It was widely known throughout Italy and its neighboring countries. The family also boasted a decent amount of men, seven of which possessing the means of using the dying-will flame. Tsuna gave a frustrated sigh. In the end, the file only contained only general information, nothing more. Though he had a feeling that it was going to be only this, he had hoped there would be more.

As he put the papers to the side, he grabbed a significantly bigger file and began flipping through it. He raised his brow when he realized what it was; a compilation of the people of the Vongola family. Interesting. As he looked through the paper's he found that there was no information concerning the guardians or Giotto. However, there were others. And there was one particular person that he wanted to check out, Ira. After a few minutes of looking, he came upon the man. His full name was Ira C. Dor. He was only twenty six years old, working in a bar when not busy with any Vongola business. He was pretty skilled in combat and had a very good rate of completed missions. However, the papers said nothing about how he came to the Vongola and which guardian or officer he worked under.

The nagging feeling that he was missing something returned once again. It looked like there something that should have been in there was taken off. He let loose another sigh and began massaging his head. This advisory position was getting to be a lot more of a pain then he had anticipated it to be. It had not been more then, what? One and a half days? Yet he could not help but feel as he was here for weeks. Something was going on. It was just his luck that he was dropped right into the middle of it. He could not shake off the feeling that soon something was going to happen; that soon, things were going to become very hectic.

And that man, Ira, just what did he mean about the other advisors? Just what happened to all the previous advisors? Did Ira know who or what was the cause or was it simply a ploy? Was he the one behind it? No, that couldn't be…

When that man had threatened him, it did not feel as if it were aimed at him. In fact it did not feel that the man was doing it out of jealously or spite. If anything it seemed to be more like a warning under the guise of a threat. But the underlying message was clear. There were definitely people after him. He was not safe as long as he staying in his position. Tsuna closed his eyes and leaned back on the chair with a sigh. Why did he always end up in something dangerous? His last thought as his mind began to drift off was the hope that this was just all a fanciful dream…

* * *

It seemed to be only a second later that Tsuna was awoken by the loud warbling of morning birds. Tsuna rolled his stiff neck and looked around blearily towards the clock; was it morning already? In the end, he hadn't even gone to bed; falling asleep at the desk. He was half tempted to go drop onto the bed and go back to dreamland, but he knew better. He organized the papers, returning them to their original files. There were still a lot of things he needed to look through, but it would have to wait till later.

With that all done, he got up and headed to the bathroom, all the while yawning. Moments later, he was out of the room completely fresh and dressed: a skill he developed along the years. And whatever was in that medicine really helped. The bruise was barely visible while the skin covering his wound was thankfully a lot thicker. The bruise on his hand however had yet to fade away. Thankfully, it was mostly covered by the cuffs of his sleeve. Nobody would notice unless he waved it in their faces.

He checked the clock once more. He had enough time to grab something quick to eat before he had to go meet for the assignment. With a sigh he entered the dining hall. Whatever hardships he would have to endure, he would face it after food was in his stomach. Thankfully there were not that much people hanging around. It was pretty early in the morning; still a good while before the hands on the clock would strike seven. He quickly grabbed a freshly made bread roll spread with jam and a cup of espresso. Just as he moved to sit down, a voice to the side called for him.

"Good morning, Tsuna." Tsuna frowned before turning to the voice. There sat Giotto at the corner table that was filled with papers. "Fancy seeing you here, you struck me as more of a late riser," said the blonde with a chuckle. He then beckoned the brunette to sit with him.

As Tsuna sat down, he could not help but comment, "I take it that you slept very little, if not at all?"

Giotto held up a cup of coffee, "I have napped, if you will."

Tsuna eyed the man in mild amusement before settling down in the seat across the blonde who began to clear the table. It was filled with papers and files. Tsuna caught a glimpse at one, quick to identify Vetro and Silice in the writing. However, that was all he saw before that paper was tucked away as well. The brunette raised his brow but did not comment.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Giotto with a slight smile, a knowing look in his eyes.

Tsuna shrugged, "As well as you can sleep at a desk," said the brunette as he spread the jam on the roll.

Giotto chuckled, "Sounds heavenly." The blonde then took a small drink from his cup and began shuffling through the papers. Tsuna helped himself to his food and drink. The brunette looked around the hall, noting how it was slowly filling up with people. Many of the people were quick to notice the blonde and approached him to say good morning. As busy as he was, Giotto never failed to greet each person.

"Good morning Giotto, how did it go?" greeted a spry, shop owner. The man looked to be roughly in his late thirties and early forties. He had curly chestnut colored hair that was tied back into a short ponytail and deep blue eyes.

Giotto smiled, "Good morning to you too, Charles. It went well. I hear that your business has been flourishing these past weeks. I am glad for you," Giotto replied, before handing the man a piece of paper.

The man took the papers and tucked it away in his pocket, "Yes, yes. Hopefully we'll keep having such good times. Have someone drop by for the next pick-up."

Giotto nodded, "Thank you, Charles. I will keep that in mind."

"Giotto! I have returned!" said the next man with a huff. He was a ginger haired man with a carefully kept beard. He was a good six feet in height and slightly built with dark brown eyes.

"Anderson! Welcome back. How was that trip to England?" asked Giotto as he looked through some of the files before stopping on a clipped bundle. The ginger haired man whistled at the amount before accepting the sheaf of papers.

"It was truly a wonder; many things to see and try. I left the reports with G, mind you," said the man as he began looking through papers, "Ahh, France, this time?"

Giotto raised his brow, "Be sure to check with the Régis family. They have some problems with the Syndicat people. If you still need to refill your funds, check with Asari."

"Will do, will do." The ginger haired man gave a mock salute before departing the hall, whistling a simple tune.

The next man looked to be part of a higher class, an aristocrat. He had jet black hair with streaks of gray, "Morning, Giotto. Have you my next assignment? And who's this man you have here? Someone we should know?"

"Yes Karl, I have your paper right here. This man is my new advisor," said Giotto. Tsuna almost choked on his drink. What was he thinking? Why now of all times! There was a sudden lapse of chatter as the hall quieted from the announcement. And then the room was completely filled with voices and exclamations of surprise.

Giotto rose up and beckoned the gathering crowd for silence, "Don't get me wrong, he is one I personally picked. If you have any problems, you will voice it to me privately."

Tsuna could only finish his drink stiffly as he suddenly became the center of attention. It was simply lovely. There was an expectant pause as the people eyed the brunette. Giotto gestured for him to stand. Tsuna gave an internal groan of dismay as he reluctantly stood up. What in the world was he suppose to say to them? Hi, I am a man that does not belong to your era. Better yet, I am the future boss of your family. He was sure that they would most definitely appreciate that.

He turned to the people and gave a slight bow and smiled, "Hello. My name is Tsuna. My birth country is Japan. However, I have spent a great deal of my life learning about Italy. Giotto, who is a close…, a close friend of mine, offered me this opportunity and I do not plan to disappoint him or any of you."

With that said, Tsuna turned to Giotto with a raised brow. The people eyed him with various degrees of suspicion and wonder. The man, who had initially asked, gave a boisterous laugh. "It's high time you've gotten a new one, especially one that you personally chose. I trust that he will be competent?"

Giotto gave a small smile, "Of course." There was a great deal of amusement in his eyes as he watched the whole scene.

Karl walked up to Tsuna and extended his hand, "Karl Flarington. Pleasure to meet you, Tsuna," he greeted the brunette with a warm smile.

Tsuna gave a small smile, and shook his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, sir,"

Karl laughed again, "Please, call me Karl. I am still young."

There was a round of laughter. "Karl, face it, you're getting old!"

Karl shot a withering glare at the person who made the comment, "Shut it Gerald. I am most definitely younger than you." And just like that, the tension in the hall was dispelled as laughter filled the room once more. Soon, others moved in to talk with the new advisor.

"I shall be taking my leave. Giotto. Tsuna," said Karl with a wave.

Giotto had to bite back laughter as Tsuna stood amongst the men that were now bombarding the brunette with questions. It was clear that he was unprepared for the sudden interest that the people had in him.

"Giotto, I thought you weren't planning to have another advisor," Giotto turned to Charles, the shop owner. The man had been ready to leave when he had heard the news and returned. The man was simply curious.

The blonde gave a small shrug as he began to sift through the papers once more, "Well, it might seem rather sudden, but you know how mail travels around these days, especially from one continent to another."

Charles chuckled, "Ah. That is true. My eldest daughter has a special someone who is currently working in Veneto and I swear the amount of time she complains about the mail would make you think he's halfway across the world."

The two shared a laugh, "Well then Giotto, I'll be leaving you. Send the man over sometime," said Charles. As he turned to leave, he paused and turned back, "In fact, why don't you send him for the next pick-up? I have time."

Giotto raised his brow before he nodded, "It wouldn't hurt. I'll make sure to do that. Goodbye, Charles."

The man left with a wave, leaving Giotto to watch the spectacle before him. Most of the people were already going back to what they were originally doing, some coming towards him to receive their assignments. Though Tsuna looked completely at ease with all the talking, Giotto was pretty sure that the man was not so calm on the inside.

However, he had to say, the brunette knew how to talk. With such a diverse crowd, one usually clammed up or simply spoke to those that were of the same social class. The fact that he was able to spread his attention evenly was really a plus.

Tsuna, in the mean time, was truly wishing he was anywhere but here. The people seemed to be relentless in asking questions. The fact that he gave answers that were all vague did not help; if anything, it seemed to cause more questions to be asked. However, it was interesting learning about the different types of people here.

"So what is the food in Japan like?" asked Andrew Wendell, a carpenter in his early thirties. He was a good three inches taller than Tsuna and had auburn hair that was cut to the nape of his head. Tsuna had learned that the man had twins, a daughter, Rosalinda and a son, Giacomo and wife, Maria.

Tsuna shrugged, "Food is mostly sea related. There is something called sushi that is very popular there. Its cooked rice combined with different types of raw fish."

"Raw fish?" asked the man in disbelief.

Tsuna chuckled at the reaction, "I guess it's an acquired taste?"

"I think I will stick with Italian food," muttered Andrew with a queasy look on his face. The people around him laughed at his expression.

It was during this time that Giotto joined the conversation, "I am sorry to interrupt when you guys are all so cheerful, but I need to reclaim my advisor."

There were calls of disappointment, but nobody argued. The group dispersed into smaller pairs, many of which bade farewell to the two men. Giotto beckoned the brunette to help him gather the significantly smaller piles of papers. With that all done the two departed the hall.

"You must have fun putting me in these situations don't you?" accused Tsuna as they walked towards Giotto's office. Tsuna was really inclined to think that the blonde enjoyed leaving him to fend for himself.

His blond companion chuckled, "Why, of course not. I simply wanted to introduce you to my men."

Tsuna gave a half-hearted glare, "Right. Thank you so much for the introductions."

"You are most welcome," replied Giotto, ignoring the look that Tsuna gave him.

Tsuna rolled his eyes, "So, is this morning something that occurs all the time?" The two turned another corner before Giotto replied, "Yes, though sometimes, we switch it to the afternoon. Usually, if it's the afternoon, I have Knuckle or G do it since I am frankly too busy at that time."

Tsuna nodded, "I see. You have some pretty diverse people here."

"It's good to be diverse. I take it that it is the same for you as well." said Giotto.

"Of course," replied Tsuna as they neared the office. Once inside, Tsuna set the papers down on the desk before sitting himself on the sofa. The brunette raised his brow at the sight before him.

"I do apologize for the mess that I made of that table. I was looking through the files and forgot to place them back," muttered the blond hair man as he realized what he had done.

Tsuna eyed the coffee table in mild amusement. Not a speck of the actual table could be seen as it was completely covered by papers. Giotto quickly gathered up the items into a big stack, only to pause. Tsuna watched as the man pulled a couple sheets from the top of the pile and tucked them into an envelope. He then handed the envelope to the brunette who accepted it with furrowed brows, "What am I suppose to do with this?" he asked.

"That will be part of the reason why you go with Knuckle today," replied Giotto. Tsuna looked at the man questioningly. The blonde continued, "You will not be there for the whole duration of the meeting. I want you to do something else for me."

The brunette frowned, "And just what would that be?"

The blonde began to rummage through the drawer in his desk. After a few seconds, he found what he was looking for and tossed the object to Tsuna. The brunette caught the box and raised his brow as he realized just what the box contained, dye.

"Silice and Moldavite are planning to meet today in a bar; it's marked on the map. I would rather you not go, but G and I have to meet with another familiga today. I need to know what the two are planning."

Tsuna raised his brow, alarm evident in his eyes, "But where is this bar? And how am I supposed to disguise myself? I do not thing just hair dye will cut it."

Giotto seemed to have already an answer for seemingly out of nowhere; he pulled out a satchel, "There is a map in here that leads from where you and Knuckle will be to the bar. I marked some places you can go to to change and do your hair. As for the disguise, there is some in here that you can work with." Giotto sighed, "If there is a hint of danger, get out of there. I do not want you to get anymore injured than you already are. I know this is rather sudden and I do apologize for making you do one thing after another. If I had the chance, I would rather be the one doing this but there is too much right now."

Tsuna shook his head, "If I were in your position, I would probably do the same as you. As for this assignment, well, let's just see how this goes."

Giotto smiled, "Thank you."

Tsuna returned the smile. Though he was not looking forward to it, it might bring some light as to which family was the culprit. Giotto left Tsuna to looking through the bag and began working on the papers. Tsuna pulled out the map and began looking at the paper. It seemed like the bar was only a couple blocks away from the building that they were going to. Now about that dye…

He opened the glass bottle and took a whiff at it and almost recoiled from the smell, "Question, how long is the coloring going to last?" asked Tsuna. The contents looked rather thick for hair coloring.

Giotto did not look up from what he was doing, "It'll wash off as soon as it gets wet. There is some perfume to cover up the smell."

"Right…"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Tsuna hastily shoved all the stuff he took out back into the bag. Just as he closed the clasp, in entered Knuckle with a worn leather messenger bag. "Good morning Giotto, Tsuna."

Giotto greeted the man with a smile, "Good morning Knuckle, I see you're ready to go. Remember, He needs to give you another set,"

"Yes, is there anything else?" asked Knuckle. The man was already turning to leave.

"Actually, can I bother you to take Tsuna as well? He hasn't been to that district yet," said Giotto, gesturing at Tsuna.

Knuckle looked at the brunette in surprise, "Really? Why not, come on then. We're leaving now."

"It's fine to just introduce him and let him wander after that. I gave him a map, so he won't get lost," called Giotto as he watched the two leave, "Be safe."

Knuckle glanced at the brunette that was now accompanying him, "Did he tell you where we're heading?"

Tsuna shook his head in denial, "There were no names on the map; just a bunch of buildings." The two were walking through the halls at a moderate pace.

Knuckle nodded, "Well, where we are heading is a place that another guardian usually frequents."

Tsuna raised his brow, "I see. Who is it?"

"It'll be a surprise," said Knuckle with a chuckle. The two left the building and into the bustling street. The markets that they passed were swarming with early buyers, eager to get the freshest of the foods and meat produce. As they passed through the crowds, there were calls of greeting. Knuckle waved as he walked pass the people. Tsuna raised his brow, the man was well liked. Such was evident when some shop owners constantly tried to give the man things.

"Knuckle, sir. Please accept this. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for our daughter," said one man.

Knuckle held up his hand in refusal, "Keep it, Giovanni. The fact that your daughter is well now is more than enough for me."

As they continued, Tsuna was inclined to notice that it was all similar. The man must have helped them with his flames and his medicine. Tsuna gave a small smile. He really was a caring man, just like Ryohei.

"Tsuna, Don't fall behind. I don't want to lose you here," called Knuckle. The man was at the entrance of a brick building. Tsuna quickly moved through the people and approached the entrance. It was a three story building. Though it looked insignificant, it was comparatively cleaner to the other buildings near it. Knuckle rang the bell and the two waited outside. After a moment, the door opened. There stood a butler who looked to be barely thirty. "Good day, Knuckle. And who might this be?"

Knuckle smiled, "Good morning, Jared. This is Tsuna, Giotto's new advisor."

Tsuna gave a small smile and a slight bow, "Pleasure to meet you." The brunette could not help but feel as if he was being sized up by the man. There was neither a flicker nor a change in expression, "Very well, sir. Please come this way. He's expecting you."

Tsuna followed the two men quietly, all the while looking around. The halls were a rich mahogany and well lit. There was not a speck of dust or furniture out of place. People that walked pass them were all from different walks of life. In a way, it was similar to what he saw in the morning in the breakfast hall. They turned another corner before coming across the destination. The butler opened the door for them. The two entered the room. Light streamed in from the windows at the end of the room. On one side of the room, maps, papers, and pictures people's faces. The other side contained shelves of books, shelves upon shelves of books.

Sitting a few feet away from them was a light blond haired man working at the only desk in the room. Tsuna widened his eyes as he realized just who the man resembled. "Alaude, it's been a while since I last seen you," greeted Knuckle.

The blonde hair man looked up from his work and leveled an irritated look at Knuckle, "I had work that needed to be done." He then returned to his work, blatantly ignoring the two men.

Knuckle beckoned Tsuna to stand next to him, "Alaude, this is Tsuna, Giotto's new advisor." Alaude paused in the middle of what he was written and stared at the brunette, "A new advisor?" Tsuna could not help but once again feel like he was being studied.

Knuckle continued, "This is Alaude, Tsuna. He's also one of Giotto's guardians. Where I am the Sun guardian, he is the Cloud guardian."

Tsuna gave a small nod, "Pleasure to meet you." The brunette then recalled what Giotto had given him and hastily shuffled through the bag. After a few moments, he produced the packet envelope that Giotto had given him.

Knuckle raised his brow as the brunette presented the envelope to the blonde, "This is from Giotto." There was a tense moment of silence before the man accepted the envelope, much to Tsuna's relief, "If possible, can I be excused? I do not want to impose any longer."

Alaude stared at the brunette, not a flicker of emotion passed in his eyes, "Jared will lead you out."

Tsuna thanked the blonde and waved goodbye to Knuckle. With that the brunette departed from the room. "What do you think?" asked Knuckle as he seated himself onto the cushioned sofa that was placed to the side of the desk.

Alaude frowned, "Why did Giotto choose such a fragile thing?" Knuckle shrugged, "I was hoping that you could look into it. None of us know who he or what his background is."

The blonde raised his brow, disbelief in his eyes "Even G?"

Knuckle nodded, "I don't understand what Giotto is doing here. With everything the way it is now, I don't think it is an extremely great idea to bring someone new into the fold. God surely has something planned for us."

Alaude furrowed his brow at the believer, "Very well. I will have my men look into it." As if the man heard his call, Jared entered the room and gave Alaude a questioning look. "Have somebody track that man and checkup with Lori; tell him to look for any information concerning the man," ordered Alaude. Jared nodded and quickly departed.

"Now that that matter is settled, we have more pressing matters to attend to..."

* * *

Tsuna took in his surroundings and sighed. The nearest location was a good couple of blocks away. Tsuna looked at the map once more before tucking it safely into his pocket. The brunette began walking, all the while thinking about the man he had just seen. In a way, the man possessed the aura that surrounded his own guardian, the aloofness. Alaude, however, was more restrained in terms of emotion. Tsuna turned another corner, he was almost there. During their lessons, Reborn did say that Alaude was the head of a secret intelligence force, similar to what Hibari with his disciplinary faction. He frowned slightly at that thought. If that were so, then he had a sinking suspicion that the man would not have let him leave so easily…

Tsuna spun around quickly, almost crashing into the people that were walking by. Sure enough, he saw a brown haired man retreat back around the corner he had just turned. Tsuna cursed softly, picking up his pace. He needed to lose the man and quick. He was almost there. He looked around before turning another corner into the bustling street. It was teeming with people buying food and meat produce. There was not a single place on the street that was not filled with people. He gave a grim smile, thankful that he had made the right pick. Just as he let himself be pushed into the crowd, he looked back to catch a quick glimpse of the brown haired man cursing. There was no way the man could find him in this mess. He was safe… for now.

Tsuna looked around at the shops before finding the one that Giotto had circled. It was a mixture of a bar and café. Tsuna eyed the man that was behind the bar, serving a man coffee. The two of them looked strangely familiar. Upon closer inspection, he realized just who they were. He quickly entered the shop, a small bell rung, making his presence known. Charles looked up and raised his brow in surprise. "Tsuna?"

Andrew, who had been drinking his begun drinking his coffee sputtered, nearly choking. He too, turned to the brunette. Tsuna gave a small wave, "Good morning Charles, Andrew. I did not realize that it was your shop that I chose."

Charles raised his brow in curiosity, "Just what were you planning to do here?"

Tsuna held the bag up to the two men, "Change, if that is alright with you"

The two men traded looks of amusement, "So he's making you do it instead?" Tsuna furrowed his brow in confusion, "Do what?"

Andrew laughed, "You are a funny man." The man then took another gulp, downing the last of the coffee, "I will be leaving then. It's a shame that I will be missing this, but work calls. Tell me about it, Charles." The auburn haired man waved and left, disappearing into the crowd of people.

Charles also let out a small chuckle, "We know about you going to do, since it was us that gave the information for that." Charles took the empty cup and beckoned the brunette to follow.

Tsuna raised his brow and followed the owner of the shop. They walked to the back of the café and up a flight of stairs. Charles opened the door to the room and moved to open the window. Light streaked into the small room brightening the space. It had a sink with a mirror handing over it and a small bed to the side. "This is usually where Giotto get's ready. Mind you, to other people this is a guest's room. I am to assume that you know not to tell anybody?"

Tsuna nodded his head, "Yes, thank you, sir."

Charles shook his head and chuckled once more, "Now, now. Just call me, Charles. A friend of Giotto's is a friend of mine."

Tsuna gave a small smile, "Thank you, Charles."

Charles waved it off, "I do want to see your end product. Be sure to come and let me see before you leave." The man left, closing the door behind him. Tsuna sighed. Well at least he had a place to change in.

* * *

Hope you liked it. I know Alaude is a bit OC, but i hope that later, i can develop him more. Sorry. I hope there weren't that many grammar errors. :x Feel free to critique or comment. Thank you for reading. =)


	11. Chapter XI

Here's the next chapter, enjoy! Happy New Years~! I thank you all for reading and reviewing. And I'm glad that you are enjoying this story! :)

* * *

The brunette dumped all the contents from the bag and began to sort through them. There was a jumble of clothes, accessories, and a pair of shoes that fell out of the bag; mind you the bag was not at all big. It was a wonder how all of the items fit. Most of the garments had small signs of wear and tear but it was doable.

However, the first thing he needed to work on was the hair dye. Giotto was kind enough to toss in a small towel and a comb. The man sure knew how to prepare. Grabbing those items as well as the hair dye, he went over to the small sink and began the tedious process. The fact that he knew how to use the dye in the first place was all due to Reborn. The hit man had an obsession with disguises, as he later found out.

Constantly, he would lecture the brunette when he was working through papers. The Arcobaleno went as far as devoting one of Tsuna's school vacations to learning about disguises, much to his displeasure. Though it was true that it did come in handy, there was no way he was going to voluntarily tell the infant, ever. That would just be another thing on the long list of things he would be teased for.

Tsuna worked quickly, applying the gunk into his hair with practiced hands. Already, part of his hair was jet black. The dye seemed to be heavy enough to cause his ever standing spikes to droop. It was surprisingly helpful for the ending product. After a few more minutes, his hair was completely black and dyed as close to the roots as he could possibly go without getting onto the scalp.

With the hair dying done and drying, Tsuna closed the bottle and wiped away the smears that got on to his hands. He cleaned the sink, running water over the surface until all the specks of dye washed away. Once all traces of the process were gone, the previously brunette man moved back to the bed, tucking away the bottle and comb. He took another look at the clothes that the man had stuffed into the bag and sighed.

He quickly stripped down to his briefs and pulled on a muddy colored trouser, long dark brown socks, and slightly battered black shoes. He then pulled on a white cotton dress shirt and over that, he wore a brown waistcoat that was a size too big. Looking through the clothes, he found a couple pairs of gloves. In the end he chose a pair of beaten up leather brown fingerless gloves. The gloves served their purpose wonderfully, covering both his rings as well as his bruise. Finally, he grabbed the gray cloth cap, hiding some of his top black spikes that were unfettered from the weight of the dye. The dye was actually pretty neat; it didn't look like he colored his hair nor did it feel stiff like some of the ones he used in his own time.

He checked himself in the mirror one last time and gave a slight grin; Reborn's teachings did not go wasted. It was a wonder how a change in clothes and a dye could alter one's appearance. Grinning back at him was what looked to be a black haired teenage male that looked either a little over eighteen though he could probably pass for younger. He had chosen the ensemble of a child raised in a working class family. His slight stature further emphasized the idea of him being a growing youth.

His tucked his gloves into the inner pocket of the waist coat and proceeded to placing all the unused items back into the satchel. Now what was he to do about his personality? Pretending to act like how he was as a teenager was a tempting idea. But the fact that he had already used it as an advisor made it a bad idea. He did not want anybody to have the slightest idea that the two were connected. After a moment of thinking, he gave a small smirk that looked surprisingly natural on his current face. He just hoped that it would fool the people around him and that he remembered to speak it correctly.

Tsuna grabbed the bag and walked out of the room and down the flight of stairs. He peered into the front and raised his brow at the amount of people that now filled the bar like café. There was a lot more people compared to when he first entered. He could see Charles talking with one costumer while making a cup of coffee for another. The tables were filled with people drinking and eating.

How in the world was he going to do this? Tsuna could not help but give a small scowl. However, he didn't have to ponder for long as he was pulled by the scruff of his shirt and dragged into view, much to his distaste, "Hey Charles, who's that kid hiding there?"

Charles who had just finished making the cup turned to the man dragging a teen from the back. Charles furrowed his brow. The scruffy looking teen seemed to look annoyed by the fact that he had been discovered. Under the cap, the boy had messy black hair that drooped around his face.

He watched as the teen move away cautiously once he was dropped, "Din't haft to grab so hard…" was a barely audible comment. The teen shot a glare at the man that had let go of him clearly peeved.

Charles frowned, how did the kid sneak into his back room? He was sure that the doors were closed…unless. Wait, that voice sounded rather familiar. Charles eyes widened in surprise and the teen gave him a knowing smirk. "Sir, you were tho kind in lettin' me 'tay in the guest room," thanked the teen with a grin, "I'll be goin' now."

The man that had grabbed the teen raised his brow, "Where are your parents, child?"

The teen glared at the man, "Ain't got nobody here. 'cept my bag," said the male proudly, "That bout it. And, m' not a kid. Sixteen and proud of it," announced the teen with a small indignant huff.

Charles chuckled quietly. Giotto sure knew how to choose. "It's alright, Alan. It just slipped my mind that I even had the kid here!" The people that were listening in erupted into laughter at the expense of the boy.

The kid gave an indignant cry, "Hey! Have a name you know. Thomas! I sure ain't no a kid either!"

Charles shook his head in amusement before beckoning the disguised man to come over. The teen, humiliated and slightly red from irritation, slunk towards the man. Charles spoke softly so that only Tsuna heard, "That's some pretty good look you got there. Could have had me fooled."

'Thomas' gave a small shrug, tugging his hat down to hide some of his blush, "Course sir. Learned from tha best."

The shop owner chuckled before moving out of the counter and leading the boy back into the storage room. The man then began looking through his shelves, grabbing a couple jars that were distinctly labeled and placed them in a cardboard box, "I suggest you leave your bag here. It will only hinder you. Give this to them alright? I don't know how long you'll be there for, but remember if anything goes wrong just drop what you're doing and come back here."

Thomas furrowed his brow before shrugging, "Okay, I understand… But they know what I plan to do, right?"

The man nodded, amusement never leaving his eyes, "Yes. Now the place is only six blocks down to the left once you leave here. You won't miss it; it's the only one with a red header sign. Remember to tell them that I sent you."

Thomas nodded his head, "Yessir," said the teen before leaving with a mock salute. The boy them picked up the box with a small huff and walked out to the front door. As Charles moved some jars around, he could hear an indignant shout and another round of laughter.

Charles shook his head with another chuckle before going back to work. The fact that the brunette had managed to have a whole different personality as well as pulling off the disguise was simply amazing. And he seemed so comfortable with the whole change as well. The man could not help but wonder why Giotto hadn't brought him sooner. He had to say that the brunette sure seemed to know what he was doing when he signed up for the job.

Meanwhile, Tsuna was leaning against the wall in an alley way to the left of the store; all the pent up stress leaving him with a big relieved sigh. He couldn't believe that what he had just done actually worked. He had thought acting like that would have been a stretch. However, imagine his surprise when they all believed him. He had half expected that at least someone would be suspicious. But he would not question it. He gave a small groan. Why did he just have to agree to take this job? He wasn't even going to be paid! And what the heck were in those jars that made the box feel so heavy?

He looked up at the sky, watching as a cloud cover up the sun before moving away. Well, he didn't have all day. He sighed as he hefted the package onto his shoulder and moved out of the alley way. He didn't make it down two blocks before somebody crashed into him, "Watch where you're going kid!"

Tsuna glared at the man before grumbling an apology, half in mind to swing the package at the man. Wait a minute... Tsuna turned to look at the man who was looking through the windows of the stores. The black haired male widened his eyes as he realized just who he bumped into. It was the man who was initially tailing him! Tsuna quickly turned back around; forcing himself to continue at the pace he started out with. The man was still searching for him! The fact that the follower did not recognize him meant that the disguise was a success. However, there was always the chance that the man might realize that it was him.

Nevertheless, he was almost there as he could already see the tell tale red of the store a block away. He could not help but notice as he walked down the street that the stores around the block he walked on were more restrained in their styles, as one had to go inside to see what they offered. There was a very upper class feel to the whole area as the people walking around dressed a great deal better than the previous blocks he had walked. A sense of confidentially also seem to dominate the area as well.

When he reached the store, he found that it was still closed. He gave a small frown before peering through the wide window next to the door. He could not help but raise his brow. The interior décor was elegant but simple. Tables were draped with deep red cloths and topped with a thick white candle and a skinny black vase with a single fresh rose. The chairs were painted and shined to a polished black; a red cushion at the seat. The sleek milky colored walls were lined with different paintings and draped with curtains that were attached to hangers at the top.

Four small chandeliers hung in each corner of the store, giving the room a cozy glow. It looked like the place could fit roughly twenty people at most. Towards the entrance, there was a staircase that presumably led to the more private rooms. A small bar to the side, towards the back, looked to be where the register was as well as the doors to the kitchen. At the opposite end, there was another door, what he assumed to be the restroom.

He backed away from the door and frowned, a bit doubtful. Was he at the right location? He peered through the side of the store, spotting the side door open at the end. He walked towards it and peaked inside. It was the entrance to a brightly lit kitchen. He frowned when he spotted no one there. However that did not stop him from looking around.

To the right, there was a long counter table with two stools. Part of the counter was filled with bottles of oils, jars of seasoning, and wines for cooking. The other part was lined with a mixing bowls, pots, and pans; some of which were filled with ingredients. If he craned his neck, he could see that inside a particularly large bowl was a big chunk of dough that was partially covered with a damp cloth, to keep the moisture in.

Hanging on the sides of the counter were utensils ranging from chopping knives to spoons and even a couple cutting boards. Behind the counter were two kitchen stoves and a circular brick oven in the corner. One of the stoves already had two big pots being heated. If he looked closely, he could see a small fire in the brick oven, warming the area inside for cooking.

To the left, there was a big slate sink flush against the wall. Next to the sink was another table counter was piled with fresh bought vegetables and fruits. Above the counter were cabinets filled with utensils and dishware. He noticed another door that probably led to the cellar or storage room. Was he supposed to enter or wait until somebody showed up? Thankfully, he did not have to decide for long as a man, with a big bag labeled flour, came walking into the kitchen. Said man spotted the boy instantly, "What do you want. Leftovers are at not for another couple hours, kid."

The man looked to be the cook. He wore a large apron that covered the simple navy blue dress shirt and black pants. He had short dirty blond hair and dark brown eyes. He looked to be in his mid thirties and had a lanky figure, being a couple inches taller than Tsuna. However, the man was definitely built from days of lifting ingredients and cooking. Tsuna watched in silence as the man leaned the bag against the counter and moved to the stove, where two enormous pots were simmering. He sniffed the first pot before adding spices from the rack that hung to the right of the stove. Tsuna watched as the man stirred the pot and then move to the other. Once he was satisfied with the mix, the man made a move to the cellar, only to see that the blacked hair teen still standing there.

Tsuna held up the box that he was carrying, "'cuse me sir, but, Charles told me to come 'ere and to give this to you."

The cook raised his brow in recognition of the name. He looked over the teen before shaking his head, chuckling in amusement, "He sent you? Do you have a name?"

Tsuna gave a miffed glare, "Yes. Ts-Thomas! That's my name sir," replied the black haired teen, internally hitting himself for the nearly slip. Thankfully, the man did not notice as he looked lost in thought.

"Really… Well then, Thomas, no use standing there gawking. Come in and let me have a look at what's inside that box of yours," said the man beckoning the teen in. Tsuna entered the kitchen and gave the box, watching as the man look at the jars with a thoughtful look on his face. Tsuna could not help but wonder what the labels meant to the man.

After a moment of silence, the man began placing the jars onto the counter that held the seasoning and turned to the teen, "So you're Giotto's new advisor, eh?"

Tsuna widened his eyes in shock, completely caught off guard, "Excuse me, sir?" Tsuna's mind was racing. How did he know, this stranger?

He introduced himself, "Name's Lucio, Pleasure to meet you. I thought after the last one, he would never even try for another," commented the man absentmindedly.

Tsuna frowned before sighing. If his cover was blown, then there was no point in faking anymore, "How did you know?" asked the blacked hair teen curiously.

Lucio grinned, "The jars. Each of them has a specific meaning. Its how, we, shopkeepers get messages around and how we make sure that there is no deception," explained the man.

Tsuna nodded in understanding, "I see… Then, you know what I am supposed to be doing,"

Tsuna received a nod, "Correct. Lately the two have been meeting up privately. Charles recently found out from one of his sources that they were going to have lunch here today."

"What am I supposed to do without giving myself away?" asked Tsuna with a frown.

"Since I am conveniently short one member today, I am going to need another pair of hands. Why not have you working around as a serving man, alright?"

Tsuna nodded slowly, "What does that entail? I'm sorry, I am not familiar with all this," said the black hair male sheepishly.

The man laughed, "Don't worry, and simply listen to whatever servers tell you to do. The two reserved a private room upstairs, so you'll have no problem listening in."

"Alright if it's like that then it's fine. So what do you need help with?" asked Tsuna.

Lucio looked around thoughtfully, "For now, help me-"

"Lucio! I just heard from someone that Giotto got a new advisor! Is that true?" interrupted a figure from the door. Standing at the door was a woman who looked to be in her late twenties and early thirties. She was slightly shorter than Tsuna with a mass of black curls pinned up in a bun. Her deep blue eyes were bright with energy and cheer. She wore a simple navy blue with a fitted bodice and skirt that was shy off the ground and elbow length sleeves that puffed up slightly at the shoulders.

Lucio groaned covering his face in exasperation, "Do shut up, Sonia, you are too loud. Yes." muttered the man through his hand.

Sonia rolled her eyes as she grabbed an apron and tied it to her waist, "They say he's an interesting fellow. I can't wait to meet him," chattered Sonia giddily. It was then she realized that there was another occupant in the kitchen. She looked at Tsuna curiously, before a devious smile appeared on her face, "Who's this? He looks adorable! Do you think it'll be okay if Camilla and I had a chance to-"

Lucio held up a hand to stop her from continuing, "No, you will not. The last time you two tried to do that, the poor guy quit and I had to find another worker."

Sonia pouted before shrugging, "Fine. But it wasn't just our fault. You and Charles were to blame for it too!"

Lucio glared at the woman through his fingers, "That is a completely different story."

Said woman made a face before turning to Tsuna with a smile, "Anyway, my name is Sonia. I assume you're the substitute for Logan, then."

Tsuna nodded, "My name's Thomas. 's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am" greeted the male politely.

"Oh, by all means, call me Sonia! No formal speaking is necessary," chided Sonia with a grin.

Lucio rolled his eyes, "Oh really, now," muttered the man.

Sonia glared at the man, who simply ignored the look, busying himself with the stewing pots. Tsuna had to hide a smile that was threatening to slip into his expression. This was just too amusing.

Sonia gave a huff of exasperation before grabbing a pile of plates in one hand and a tray of utensils in the other. She left to the dining area muttering something about men being idiots, leaving the two alone once more.

A few seconds passed in silence before Tsuna spoke up, "Uh… Do you need me to do anything?"

Lucio turned from the stove in surprise, "Oh. Sorry, I thought she dragged you with her," remarked the man, "Grab an apron from the hanger. You can start washing the vegetables for now. There are still a lot of things that need to be prepped." Tsuna nodded his head before turning to the pile of vegetables. He gave an internal sigh, before rolling up his sleeves and tying on the apron. Well. At least it wasn't paperwork.

After he had finished rinsing the vegetables, Tsuna moved to help making the dough for pasta kneading it till it was a big ball of dough. After he separated the ball into smaller ones, he started the process once more. Sonia, who had finished setting up the last of the tables, had come in to finish making the pasta, expertly rolling the dough out into long thin sheets and slicing them. Once they were cut, she set them on a rack on the counter near the stoves where Lucio worked at.

Later, the two went down to the cellar to get the meat that was needed for the dishes. After instructing Tsuna how to prepare the meat, Sonia began making the sauces for the pasta. Lucio, during that time, had already begun making some dishes, using the things in the bowls he had already set up. The reason for that was because, they were ones that were most time consuming as well as regular choices made by customers.

Before he knew it, the little restaurant was open. With most of the prepping done, Tsuna was moved to the dining area as he was no longer needed in the kitchen. Sonia had given him a quick rundown of what he was suppose to do before people began pouring in. Small appetizers and drinks were the first to be set out for new customers while the regulars already began on their prepared dishes.

As Tsuna was getting the hang of waiting on and serving people, he made sure to keep an eye out for two particular men. However, as time passed, he began to grow worried as there was no sign of either man. Was the information wrong? Two hours later, when most of the diners had eaten their fill and left, Tsuna had all but given up on them. Instead, he simply immersed himself in helping Sonia and Lucio where they needed help.

"Thomas, you did a great job today! I'm so glad that you were able to help us so much," thanked Sonia with a smile. The flow of costumers had died down, leaving them some time to chat.

Tsuna shook his head, "You guys did most of the work. I learned a lot from you guys." Really, he did. Though he had started living in Italy for a good while, he had never had the time to learn how to make the things he ate.

Sonia giggled, "Oh, Thomas. If you weren't here, I don't know how we would have done it. Lucio is always so against having new people to work when Logan isn't here."

Tsuna raised his brow questioningly. Sonia sighed, "The last time that happened, Lucio refused to get a hire hand and we almost lost a great chunk of profit that day. Thankfully, the costumers were willing to wait. Sometimes, he can be such a stubborn idiot."

"It seems like the two of you are really close," commented Tsuna.

Sonia perked up and a smile immediately appeared on her face, "You really think so?"

Tsuna nodded, "Yes,"

However the smile soon disappeared, "I just wish that he would say something. You know I've been here for the past three years and he has never said any inkling of endearment to me?"

Tsuna raised his brow in mild surprise. Sure he was dense when it came to romance, but this was way beyond it, "Have you told him how you felt? Three years is pretty long," said Tsuna.

"Actually I confessed twice. Both times I asked he completely ignored me," said Sonia with a sigh, "My parents think I am foolish for still staying here. I am already at the age where finding a spouse is next to impossible. You're still young so you don't have to worry as much…"

Tsuna gave a small laugh at the last comment but wisely held his tongue, "I guess so."

She drew the young man closer, "This is just between you and me, okay?" she whispered with a grin, "I am going to ask him again, maybe tonight when we go over to see Charles."

"Well, I wish you the best, Sonia," said Tsuna. He hoped that it would go well.

Sonia gave the teen a hug, "Thank you. By any chance, would you like to join us to-"

She was interrupted by the sound of the entrance door opening. In walked the two men Tsuna thought had decided not to appear, Moldavite and Silice. Tsuna could feel Sonia tense slightly and could not help but wonder if she knew just who they were. Sonia ushered the teen to the kitchen, "Could you go tell Lucio that the pair that made reservations today are here?"

As he entered, he could hear Sonia greet the two men before the door closed shut behind him. He looked around, and frowned when Lucio was not in sight, "Lucio?"

There was still something boiling in the pot which had been left unattended. Tsuna frowned as he turned it off, covering the contents of the pot, sauce, with a top. He then walked to the kitchen exit and peered outside. His eyes widened at what he saw, internally cursing at the predicament. The cook, who had been dumping out refuse, was being held at knife point by a curly light brown haired man. The man had not noticed Tsuna as his back was turned towards the door.

"Why did they come to you shop?" asked the man placidly, though his stance was anything but that.

Lucio narrowed his eyes, "What are you talking about?"

The shook his head sadly, "It's a shame that you won't tell me. I'm surprised that they would come here of all places, though. It's been rumored that you have connections to the Vongola."

The man continued as the remark triggered no response from the cook, "I told boss that you wouldn't know. What would a cook know? But oh well. I get to add another one to my list."

However before the man could act, a kick sent him sprawling into the wall, head first. Lucio raised his brow in surprise when he realized just who did it, "Thomas, what are you doing here?"

The black haired teen grabbed the knife that was dropped out of the man's hand, "The lady called for you, she says that the reserved room is in use and that you need to make the order," replied the male, never taking his eyes off the man on the ground.

Said man, began to stir getting up with a small groan, "That hurt! What if you really injured me," chided the man before dusting himself off.

The man, who dressed in simple black three piece suit, looked to be in his early forties, though he could probably pass for younger. He had dark green eye that had held a slight eerie glow that could be seen if one looked closely. Tsuna frowned; he could not shake off a sense of uneasiness as he eyed the man warily. His intuition screamed danger and caution.

The man scrunched his brow before looking at Tsuna with curious eyes, "You dress like a youngster but that isn't so, now is it?"

Tsuna narrowed his eyes, "M' sixteen. Who are you and what are you tryin' to pull here?" demanded the 'teen' bravely, though internally he was getting very bad feeling at where this was heading to.

"No, no," denied the man with a small shake, "Most people would have believed you, but I know. I always know. You look at least have hit your twenties, at least twenty one?" The 'teen' could not hide the shock in his eyes quickly enough. The man gave a delighted clap, "I thought so."

The next event happened so fast that Lucio had to wonder if he imaged it. One moment, the two were simply standing and in the next, they had knives at each other's throat. The man chuckled, withdrawing his weapon as quickly as he drew it, "This is rather interesting. Thomas, was it? Well, Thomas, I am sure that I will be seeing you around sooner or later. In the mean time, I shall take my leave."

With that said, the man left with a small bow walking down into the streets, melding into the crowd. Tsuna watched the man leave, his mind racing. What in the world was this man and just what was he planning? His thoughts were interrupted by Lucio, who beckoned the male into the kitchen.

Lucio moved to the stove that he had left unattended, "He is well known in many circles as Rosario, the Wanderer. The man is a hire hand, a skilled and deadly one. He's killed enough men to make even the most hardened man cautious when dealing with him," said the man calmly, as if the whole incident never happened, "It is hard to describe him. He has no particular aim for power, and he never works under someone for very long. "

Tsuna frowned as he placed the taken knife onto the counter, "Do you think he is going to come after you again?"

Lucio gave a shook his head, "I am merely a cook; my combat skills are decent but not on par with his. If he didn't kill me now, then he won't bother trying to continue. He has a talent of figuring out things and most of the time he will be right."

Tsuna gave a grim nod, accepting the information as it was true. The man figured out his age without batting an eye. He was lucky that his instincts reacted quickly enough; the man had aimed to kill. Lucio continued as he began chopping a slab of meat, "If anything, I have a feeling that he has set his sights on you. So you best be careful from now on, especially with all the business with the other advisors."

Tsuna tightened his lips. Great, this was really just what he needed; another person to hound him. And this was a dangerous one to boot. But this problem had to wait till later, as they had more pressing matters to attend to.

Suddenly, Sonia came running in, "Did Thomas tell you who came? They already made their orders!"

Lucio nodded and accepted the note that held all the requested foods, "Alright, they settled themselves already?"

Sonia gave a terse nod, "They haven't said anything in particular yet, but I can't keep watching them. I have to mind the costumers downstairs,"

"Don't worry, we'll have Thomas bring up the orders to them," assured Lucio.

There was an instant refusal from the woman, "No, that's too dangerous!" said Sonia with a frown.

"Uh, Sonia… there's something I should tell you," said Tsuna. However he was brushed off, "Wait a moment, Thomas. Do you think Logan can come in?"

Lucio sighed, "Sonia, Thomas is more than capable enough to do it. There's a reason why he's here and Logan's not. Think. Who else would come other than Giotto?"

Tsuna watched as Sonia glared at the cook before a frown replaced it. Her eyes widened as she realized just what Lucio meant, "You're Giotto's new advisor?" squeaked Sonia in surprise.

Tsuna gave a small smile, "I was trying to tell you before…Pleasure to meet you."

Sonia sighed before giving a small smile, "No wonder. I thought it was strange that Lucio actually found somebody to hire," teased the lady, all traces of shock hidden.

Lucio shot a withering glare at the woman, "Very funny, Sonia," muttered the man, before he set out the dishes, "Here are the orders. Remember what I said earlier, Thomas. Be careful."

Tsuna gave a small nod as he set the dishes onto a tray, leaving the room. Sonia looked towards Lucio worriedly, "Are you sure he's going to be okay? You know what happened with all the other advisors…"

Lucio shrugged, "I think he'll be fine, after all, wasn't it said that Giotto chose him by himself?"

Sonia sighed, "I hope he's the right one because we can't have anymore traitors. The time to prepare and fortify is slowly ending."

* * *

I'm sorry to disappoint some of you who were expecting him to be dressed in something more, feminine. However, it might be fulfilled in another chapter. And as for romancing, though there might be hints of it, it won't be prominent. Sorry. I am no good when it comes to writing about love. Also, I realized that there's been a lot of characters that I have been adding. It'll stop soon, I promise.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to leave critiques and comments. I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Once again, Enjoy the New Year~! :)


	12. Chapter XII

Sorry for not updating sooner, but here's the next chapter! Thank you all for reading this story and reviewing. Really. I appreciate it a lot. I hope you enjoy this next installment. Good luck to anybody who currently has midterms and exams!

* * *

Tsuna stared at the staircase that led up to where the two advisors were. They were actually here… He had been so absorbed with working with Lucio and Sonia that, at some point, he had forgotten what he had come here to do. He could not help but feel the anticipation and apprehension he had for this assignment rekindle. Sure, he had his fair share of spying but this location was not familiar to him at all. Then again, there was that time with Hibari. He still wasn't sure how they were able to get out of that building, though he had a feeling that it had something to do with Hibird… But that was beside the point. His main problem was how to spy on the two men without them knowing. His thoughts were interrupted by a call.

"Thomas! Why haven't you gone up yet?" called Sonia in mild surprise, "The food's going to get cold." The woman had just come out of the kitchen with a tray of drinks.

He feigned a look of embarrassment, "Ah, sorry ma'am," said the black haired male, reverting back to his teen slang. "I was gonna go up, honest."

Sonia raised a brow in mild amusement, "Wait, Thomas." Thomas stopped mid-step and turned to the lady, a look of questioning in his eyes.

He stood quietly as the woman set down the drinks for the designated customers. Once that was settled, Sonia walked over to the disguised teen. Seemingly out of nowhere, she began to straighten out his shirt and brushed flecks of food that had clung onto the apron, the male wore. The black haired teen was careful to stay still as the lady did the check though he very much wanted to know why she was doing this all of a sudden.

"I forgot to tell you what room that I had them stay in. It's the first one to your left. The rest of the doors are all locked and not in use," said the woman as she gave the male a last look over.

Tsuna could not help but raise his brow. Was she trying to tell him that he would have to resort to eavesdropping right at the door? Surely there was some way to get into one of those rooms. Pick-locking was not his forte; it was more of something that Gokudera would excel at. As he opened his mouth to voice his concerns, the teen paused. He did not know if he imagined it or not but Tsuna felt something light dropped into his apron pocket. Tsuna frowned at the woman, a confused look evident on his face. Did he image that or did she just slip something into his pocket? And if she did, what in the, no, how in the world did she just slip into his pocket without his notice?

She gave a small wink at the look of on the male's face and gave him a light push, "It's just a little something to help you along. It's the same for all of them," said the lady cheerfully.

"Oh, you should also take a look at the paintings in that room when you have time, specifically the last one. It's a precious one," said Sonia quietly, a small grin adorned on her face.

Tsuna furrowed his brow, "Alright, ma'am…" replied the teen. Was this just small talk or was there a hidden meaning?

Sonia flicked the male's head, "What did I say about all that formal speak?" scolded the woman with a mock glare.

"To speak no formal speak," recited Tsuna, a small grin on his face.

The woman smiled before shooing away the teen, "Get going you. Can't keep customers waiting, alright?"

"I'll be goin' now… ma'am," said Tsuna, giving a mock salute with his free hand, escaping before the woman had a chance to reprimand him once more. Sonia chuckled in amusement as Thomas hastily retreated up the stairs.

However, the moment his back was toward her, the smile on her face dropped into a thoughtful frown. She was pretty good with giving and taking things stealthily, having perfected the skill amongst other skills at an early age. The fact that he was able to notice what she did was both surprising and reassuring. It meant that he had at least some talent.

And as much as she wanted to deny it, she had grown attached to the teen in the time they had spent together. She could tell that Lucio, too, had come to like him as well. There was just that air about him that made it seem like he was somebody they could depend on. She gave a small sigh before turning to the door as new customers that walked in. She desperately hoped Giotto made the right choice with this time around. Like she told Lucio earlier, it would start soon.

She smiled at the couple, "Welcome! Will it be just two?"

Tsuna paused from his walk up the stairs as he heard Sonia chattered to the new customers and turned. Once he was sure that the woman had her complete attention towards what sounded like a couple, he quickly reached into the pocket. He frowned as his hand enclosed on something hard and cold. It was a simple silver key. So that was what she meant when she said that. He had thought it only as a joke. To think that the woman was capable of such a trick, he could not help to wonder just what she did prior to working in this restaurant. However which door would it open?

He walked up the last few steps before stopping at the beginning of the hall. He could not help but raise his brow at his surroundings. There were only four rooms on the second floor, two on each side of the hallway. Though the style was similar to the first floor, there was definitely something classier about this area. The floor had a long carpet of red with a gold border pattern of lines. The carpet stretched down to the end of the hall where a painting of a rose bouquet hung regally, bordered with black polished wood. On parts not covered by the carpet were dark wooden tables held up by thin curved legs. Bright lamps sat on those tables set between each of the two doors while a chandelier-like light hung daintily at the center of the ceiling. It was clear that this floor was only used for special occasions.

To the left, he could hear a faint murmuring coming from the first room. They were definitely in there. He turned to the door only to pause, his mind drifting back to his original question concerning the key. It wouldn't hurt to check, would it? With that thought, he set the tray of food onto one of the tables and walked over to the next room. He tried jiggling the door open. It stayed firmly shut. The teen then tried inserted the key into the hole, half expecting the door to remain shut. However, with a simple turn, the door clicked open. Tsuna could not help but stare at the now opened door. A few seconds trickled away before he hurriedly shut the door and relocked it. Well that solved that question.

Tucking the key back into his pocket, he grabbed the tray once more before walking back to the door that separated him from the two advisors. There were still wisps of steam coming out of the food, granted it was significantly smaller compared to when he initially had it. Hopefully, they would take little notice. A sigh escaped his mouth as he stood before the door. Reborn would kill him if he found out just how long he was dawdling for.

With a single loud knock to sound his entrance, the teen waiter walked in. The room was slightly bigger than his old room back in Japan and significantly lighter than the hallway. To the right was a window with its red curtain drawn to the side to let in the warm afternoon light. Similar to the décor of the walls in the lower floor, there were the pictures and curtains. In addition to that, the room was bordered with an elegant background of intricate gray flower patterns shaded black.

At the center of the room was a polished dark table that was partially covered by a table cloth set diagonally. The two men seated at the table paused from their conversation, looking towards the cause of the sudden interruption. Both had taken off their jackets and had already consumed most of the appetizers.

The teen did not hesitate to speak, presenting the tray before him. "Brought up yah order's sirs," said Tsuna gruffly, keeping his head slightly lowered. It was enough to overshadowed part of his face, but not enough to make it seem as if he were doing it purposefully.

He set down the food laden plates and put the empty ones onto his tray with quick and practiced hands. The way he conducted himself would have given off the impression that he had been doing this for years. Nobody would have guessed that earlier this day, he did not have the slightest clue as to what to do.

"Will you folks be needin' anything else?" asked Tsuna as politely he could, willing himself to not tense at the amount of scrutiny the two men were giving him.

Suddenly, Moldavite spoke up, "You look rather familiar…" said the man, a thoughtful look on his face.

Tsuna gave a small frown of confusion, "S'cuse me, sir?" asked the teen, feigning cluelessness. Internally, he cursed the man's question and suspicion.

"I feel as if I know you from somewhere," muttered the advisor with a frown.

Tsuna shook his head and scoffed, "Ain't never seen you before, sir. I think you're mistakin' me for someone else," said the male, "Can I leave now?"

Thankfully, it was Silice who answered, shaking his head, "That'll be all. We shall pay when we are done. There will be no need for you to come back."

It was a clear dismissal, one that Tsuna gladly took. The teen gave a quick nod before departing, leaving as quickly as he had entered. The moment, the door clicked shut behind him, the male walked softly to the room beside it. Balancing the tray in one hand, he pulled out the key, opening the door with his other. Once again the door opened.

He slipped into the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. He squinted around until his eyes adjusted to the darkness. All aspects of the room were the same as the other with the exclusion of a window. He placed the tray on the empty table and moved to the wall that blocked him from the two advisors. He leaned his ear against the wall, only to be met with complete silence. He could not hear a thing. What they said was completely muffled.

Tsuna let out a soft curse, half tempted to punch a hole through the wall. What was he going to do now? There was no way he could go back out without getting caught. Why would Sonia give him a key to the room? What use was it to him if he could not hear a thing?

Unless… He looked at the paintings. Which one was the one that she told him to look at? The last one, was it? He stared at the painting in confusion. He could barely make out a picture of what looked to be a kitten. There was nothing significant about it. Maybe she meant that it was behind the painting. He lifted the painting only to be assaulted by a beam of light. He grimaced at the light before laying the painting down to the ground. Sure enough, there was a small opening. From the angle he was looking through, he had a clear view of both men.

He was just in time to see Silice walk towards the door and out into the hall. Tsuna frowned as the man disappeared from the room. Where was the man going? He almost jumped when he heard the door knob of the room being jiggled. He definitely needed to thank Sonia when he had the chance. Had he gone with his backup idea of listening in, he would have been caught by Scoria's advisor instantly.

Tsuna turned to the peephole once more. "Is that kid gone?" asked Moldavite from his seat, a thoughtful look on his face as the Conchiglia advisor's reentrance.

"Well, he's not there," answered Silice, closing the door softly before returning to his seat, "Why so interested?"

Moldavite gave a small shrug before beginning to eat, "He seemed rather edgy... And I had a feeling I'd seen him before…"

Silice raised his brow, "Where would that be?" asked the man in mild curiosity.

"I don't know, but it was definitely recent," said the man, helping himself to the food that was set before him, "There's something strange about him. I can feel it. He's hiding something."

Silice raised a brow but did not ask further. Instead, the man changed the topic to something more interesting, to Tsuna, at least. "You know, I don't think Giotto's going to be neutral any longer. I think he's figured most of it out," commented the chestnut haired advisor, before taking a bite.

Moldavite gave a slight smile, a mischievous glow in his usually icy blue eyes, "Of course, I'm willing to bet he suspected from the beginning. That intuition of his is a rather frightening skill to have."

Silice laughed, "True, but that is only part of the reason that his family has risen to such heights," muttered the man, a wry smile that looked out of place on the man's face, "Do you think he'll try talking with Vetro again?"

Moldavite shrugged, "It's hard to tell since Vetro's been so reluctant to get into any violence. But I think he's been pretty unhappy with what's been happening the past couple of weeks" said the man. Having finished the last his food, the man poured himself another glass of wine.

Silice shook his head, "I think it would be wise for him to talk with Giotto. The last time it was this quiet, Vetro lost six men to an ambush and Giotto lost his previous advisor. I think he's planning to do something again."

All sense of ease trickled from the room at that comment. "Well, if it is like that then Vetro might just hear him out. However, we still haven't found solid evidence for the attacks to indicate that it's him," muttered Moldavite, irritation clear in his blue eyes

Silice gave a small nod, "I'm sorry that I can't be of much help. I have not been there long enough for him to be privy to all his secrets."

Moldavite shook his head, "You have risen to a high enough rank to have access to all of his business activities. That was our initial goal. Vetro said not to go farther than that; anymore than that will have you under suspicion."

The next few minutes passed as both seemingly preoccupied with their own thoughts, Silice eating while Moldavite simply looked at his glass, not drinking. Tsuna, in the meantime, did not know what to think. Did this mean that Silice was a spy for Vetro? How long had this been going on for? Better yet, how did this escape the notice of Giotto? If he remembered correctly, the alliance was roughly a year and a half in the making. That was ample time to go looking in to the other families. Yet for him to only find out the two were meeting now…

Then there was the question about the advisor and the attacks. So it was not just the Vongola that were experiencing problems. And if what Silice implied was true then it could be possible that during that time with Rampou…

A sigh brought him out of his thoughts. It was Moldavite, "I rue the day we decided for you to go serve him and I most definitely rue that alliance was made. It's constrained our exports and imports dreadfully. Vetro was complaining that the share we received was dismal."

Silice gave a small shrug, "However, you know we have benefited from the alliance in the long run, especially with the Vongola. Granted, those first two meetings we had, you almost got yourself killed by Giotto."

"Hey, I've been working on it, okay? You don't see me doing that during meetings anymore," growled Moldavite with an indignant glare, before taking a drink from his glass.

Silice raised his brow in disbelief, "Of course."

Moldavite held his hand up in defeat, "All right, all right. I won't bring it up anymore," said blue eyed man, "Anyway, that new advisor; I talked to him for a bit, yesterday."

"…I saw that. And what do you think of him?" asked Silice curiously.

Moldavite gave a small grin, "He's a funny man, the one that Giotto found. I am pretty sure that the whole night was just an act for that little brunette."

"You mean he faked the whole thing?" asked Silice, eyes narrowed in disbelief, "It did not look like that to me. He reminded me of the lower ranks we have right now that do not know how to fight correctly."

"That shows how much he had us all fooled," said Moldavite, tapping his head with a slight smirk, "I only noticed something off when you made a move towards Giotto for that comment. Believe it or not, the man was ready for you. Vetro noticed as well. You would've been hurt had you not backed off."

Silice frowned, "Really, now… I specifically remember him getting tossed across the room before we left."

Moldavite shook his head and chuckled, "I am not questioning your skills. What I am saying is that, the man's experienced even if looked very amateurish. Let us just keep it that."

"Experienced or not, I do not understand why Giotto is putting so much confidence in that man," said Silice with a frown, "You saw what happened to the other advisors that the man had and how they ended up. I am pretty sure that he'll be targeted next."

Moldavite raised his brow before smirking, "Whoever's behind those targeting will realize the hard way…"

Silice glared at the man before sighing, "Why are you so sure that he'll make it? Are you sure that the advisor isn't just bait or something?" suggested the man halfheartedly.

Moldavite shrugged and began pouring the last of the wine into his glass, "Who knows. Maybe it's a ploy or maybe it's just that Giotto finally got a good one that he trusts."

"But it's strange. It's like the advisor came out of thin air. I have never seen him around, ever."

"I agree. I reckon that not even those in the Vongola had known about the sudden appearance."

"Speaking of which, where is Caius?" asked Silice with a raised brow, "He was supposed to come as well."

Moldavite sighed, "That guardian, Alaude, was it? Well that man has his people watching and keeping tab of all the other new recruits after the last one tried to pass on information to another family. The best Caius can do is just stay low. Granted, we shouldn't even be meeting up after what happened last time."

Silice chuckled, "Knowing him and that temper of his, I'm surprised that Vetro only yelled at you for that. I thought he would at least break your arm."

Moldavite scoffed, "Come, now, I am all for a fight. But, no, that man goes on and lectures me. Of all things he could have done… Do you know how long he went on for? A good hour on being more careful! At least I know that the men I trained are competent."

Silice shook his head in amusement, before holding up his glass up in a mock toast, "I assume that our next one won't be for a long while then," said Silice, before downing the drink.

Moldavite chuckled quietly, "Will do."

"Where are you planning to go now?" asked Silice, with a raised brow, "Certainly not to something fancy from what I gather."

"I told some of my men to meet with me at the docks," said Moldavite as he poured himself a last cup of wine. "Vetro wanted me to check the shipments."

"I see. Well, until next time," said Silice getting up to put on his jacket.

Moldavite raised a brow, "Next time, …-"

Tsuna did not bother listening to the end of the conversation. Instead, he hastily placed the painting back in its original place and left the room with all that he brought with him. He needed to get down without them noticing. He walked as quickly as he could without making any of the empty plates clatter. The black haired teen was almost down the stairs before he heard the faint sound of the door opening. He turned quickly into the dining area only to find it pretty much empty with the exception of a couple and Sonia, who was wiping the tables. At his arrival, she looked up, but before she could say anything, he sped straight to the kitchen.

Sonia frowned. How rude. She was tempted to go and reprimand the teen but before she could, the two men walked down. She raised her brow, before smiling, "I see you have finished. Were the dishes to your taste?"

Tsuna let out a small sigh of relief as he reached his goal. It was not a moment too soon as he heard Sonia talking to the two advisors. "Ah, I see you're back."

Tsuna turned to the source of the voice, it was Lucio. The man had gone out to trash the waste and was now moving back to the sink where a small pile of dirtied dishes were waiting to be washed. "I assume it went well?" said the man as he rolled up his sleeves.

Tsuna nodded, "Yes. But I —"

Lucio interrupted, turning to the male, a crooked smile on his face, "Don't tell me everything. A yes is sufficed. I have no use for any other information. The one who needs to hear it the most is the Vongola."

The teen gave a slight frown before nodding, "Do you need help with anything?"

The cook shook his head, "Nothing, for now. Are there any people left in the front?"

"Well, there was a couple that was still sitting there when I came down," answered Tsuna, "Other than that no."

"Hmm, go help Sonia then. Once those two are done, we'll be closing up," said Lucio, going back to the dishes.

"So soon?" asked Tsuna in confusion. It couldn't have been more than past four or five. But as he looked around the kitchen, there was not a speck of food anywhere. The stoves and pots were all empty and cleaned.

Noticing his disbelief, Lucio chuckled, "We usually open later, but today, it will be Charles' daughter's birthday today, so they want me to help make the dinner. And Sonia probably misses them too. It's been a while since we last visited."

"I see…" muttered Tsuna thoughtfully, "You guys seem really close."

Lucio turned to Tsuna with a small smile, "I take it she's talked to you about it."

Tsuna bowed his head slightly, "I did not mean to pry. The comment just came out." Why did he have to be so stupid sometimes?

"No, no. I know. I also know that she's planning to try again today," continued Lucio.

Tsuna frowned, "You knew?"

Lucio scoffed, "I am not dense as she claims me to be. Believe me, I've known." Tsuna raised his brow in mild surprise. So Lucio had known the entire time.

"So why haven't you given her a response?" asked Tsuna, his curiosity getting the better of him.

The cook, who had finished washing the plates, turned to the teen, leaning against the edge of the sink, "One of the reasons that I haven't given any response yet was because I have only recently received this."

He pulled out a small pouch from his pocket. Tsuna looked at the pouch in question. What was inside it? Lucio smiled at the teen before opening the pouch and pulling out a ring. It had the traditional design of clasped hands but what was really striking about it, was the small delicate-looking diamond surmounted on the hands. If Tsuna was not mistaken, that was an engagement ring.

Tsuna stared in shock, "Is that a Fede ring? Are you planning to-"

Lucio nodded before he could finish his comment, "Do keep this a secret. The other reason that I had not proposed sooner was because at that time I had nothing but a rundown shop that did not even have a proper stove. I had to depend on partial support from my family."

"But this time it's different," said Tsuna as he watched the man place the ring and pouch back into the safety of his pocket, "You can stand on your own and provide for her now."

"Yes," said Lucio with a satisfied smile, "I plan to tell her at the dinner tonight."

"I wish you the best," said Tsuna with a small smile. He really meant it; he was happy for them.

It was at that time that Sonia came walking in with a pile of plates and glasses. "I'm finished up with the front. The upstairs rooms are all locked and cleaned," said Sonia as she passed the dishware to Lucio. Sonia turned to the teen expectantly.

Tsuna pulled out the key, presenting it to the woman, "I found this in my pocket. I think it belongs to you, ma'am."

Sonia raised a brow in amusement, "Oh, How silly of me to have dropped it. Thank you, Thomas. I hope things went well?"

Tsuna gave a small nod, "The painting you told me to look at, really was precious. Thank you." If it weren't for that painting, he would have never found out what the two men were talking about. Sonia grinned at his underlying meaning.

"I'm glad you liked it. That picture was painted by my father a couple of years ago," said Sonia with a reminiscent smile, "Anyway, before you went up, I wanted to ask if you would like to come with us to Charles' place. He's having a birthday celebration for his daughter."

"…Actually, I have another errand that I need to run before I can go," said Tsuna sheepishly.

Sonia frowned, "But what else do you need to do?" questioned the woman in confusion.

Tsuna shook his head, "It's just something small. It shouldn't take too long."

"Alright," agreed Sonia, albeit reluctantly, "However, you'll be there later? Do you remember the way back?"

The teen nodded, as he began taking off his apron, "Yes, thank you for having me here. I learned a lot here," said Tsuna giving a small bow.

Sonia giggled, taking the apron from the teen and giving the teen his cap, "Oh you're such a silly person, Thomas."

Tsuna gave a small smile before leaving the kitchen and out the door.

Sonia turned to Lucio, who had paused from his work, "Wasn't he supposed to come with us? Isn't that what Charles said?"

"Yes…" replied Lucio with a frown, "I cannot imagine what he's planning to do. It does seem rather suspicious though."

"Right? I don't know, Lucio. I feel like something bad is going to happen. What if he gets hurt?" said Sonia worriedly.

Lucio shook his head, "Thomas can fend for himself; I saw that first hand."

"Really… Wait, how do you know?" demanded the woman with a frown.

"Before those two arrived, I had a run in with Rosario," said the man, "He questioned why they came, together."

Sonia instantly paled at the name.

Lucio continued on as if he were talking about weather, though it was clear to Sonia that he, too, had been shaken, "If Thomas hadn't interfered, I wouldn't have been here talking."

"Rosario is back?" whispered Sonia in fear, "Why?"

Lucio shook his head, "Your guess is as good as mine. But it is not safe to be alone anymore."

Tsuna looked around in confusion as he turned another block. Maybe, it would have been a good idea to ask where it was before leaving. He looked up into the sky and frowned with dislike at the heavy gray clouds that had gathered up since his stay with Lucio and Sonia. He felt bad for leaving them like that and he was sure that they were suspecting, but it wasn't something he felt he should say. He doubted that Sonia would have let him gone so easily if he told her the truth; that he was planning to follow a certain advisor to the docks. He wasn't even sure why he wanted to in the first place. It was just that gut feeling that something was going to happen there. Whether it was a good or bad thing, well he would find out soon enough.

As he walked down the street, he could start seeing the sails of boats, rising above buildings. What should have been an hour walk had turned into two hours since he had taken the wrong route twice. Thankfully, a shop owner had been able to point him towards it, though there was a word of warning. Something about heavy rains tonight and how youngsters shouldn't be out. As he hastened his pace, his thoughts could not help but return to what he had heard. There was a spy in the Vongola, but who was this Caius and just what was he there for? And what had really happened to those advisors? There was so much that he needed to tell Giotto, but that man had said that he would be at a meeting, so it was unlikely to be any time soon. He would have to contend himself with waiting.

He lowered his cap as he drew close to the port. There were five ships that were docked, rocking gently to the lull of the waves. Crates upon crates lined the port in assorted sizes, not yet moved to the warehouses. He gave a small frown as he looked around. Aside from the waves and calls of gulls, there was a lack of human movements and sounds. Perhaps there was a break time at the moment? Did that mean that they were in the warehouses? He hesitated for a moment before walking towards the buildings. Most of them were closed and two, so far, that were open, were filled with cargo. A light drizzle had begun to fall, as he moved to check the next to last one. Tsuna could not help but wonder if the man had already gone.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of wood breaking. He tensed, looking around for the source of the noise. It came from the warehouse that he was heading to. He moved to the warehouse quietly, sneaking to the side door quietly. He could hear a faint groan, probably the person that had crashed into the wood. Peering in, he froze in shock at the sight before him. Bodies of dead men lay strewn around like rag dolls, the cause of their death; a cut to the throat. He counted roughly ten men from where he stood. Standing at the center of the site was Rosario, flanked by two men. They had their backs to the door, surrounding a man. Upon closer inspection, it was Moldavite. Why was he here? Tsuna slipped into the building, hiding behind the crates and objects to the right, moving closer to the three. His mind was racing. What should he do?

"You had some are rather talented men to be capable of eliminating so much of mine" commented Rosario airily, "It's a shame that they are all dead. It's just you now."

"You bastard," said Moldavite, an expressionless look on his face, however, his eyes told a different story of anger.

Rosario chuckled, "What do you think you can do. Not only are you outnumbered, you are in no condition to fight. Now why don't you think about what I said?"

Moldavite glared, "I have nothing to say to the likes of you." It was true that the man was in no condition to fight with all the injuries that he had accumulated.

"Now, now. There is no need to get dramatic here," chided the hire hand, "After all; I went through so much to find you. It would be a shame to lose such a powerful man."

Moldavite stayed silent and unmoving, clearly not believing the man.

"I think you should reconsider it, though your choices are rather limited," said Rosario.

"I already told you. I would rather die than forsake my Family."

Rosario gave a small sigh, "Very well. Rostov, Griffith. Give the man his wish." With that said, the man left, whistling a small tune.

The two men traded smirks before turning to the advisor, "Time to say goodbye, just like your other men" sneered one of the men giddily.

Moldavite started at the two warily, readying himself to fight to the death, "I will avenge them."

"Look, Grif. He's still going to fight," said Rostov with a snicker, "There is no way he can win two to one."

"Then why don't we even the field?"

The two killers turned in surprise to the source of the voice. Moldavite frowned before widening his eyes in shock, "You're that kid from before! This place is dangerous, what are you doing here?"

"I came to help," said Tsuna simply.

Rostov looked towards his companion before the two barked in laughter, "Griff, that kid wants to play hero," said Rostov between his laughs.

"Get out of here!" growled Moldavite, "You can't beat them."

"Shut up, advisor," ordered Rostov, before slamming the advisor into a crate, "Stay there and don't move. We'll come back for you soon."

Griffith raised a hand, "I'll take him, Rostov."

Tsuna eyed the man, Griffith, who was advancing towards him, cautiously. The man pulled out a knife before suddenly speeding forward. Tsuna narrowly dodged being sliced through; however, he was not prepared for the kick that followed right after. He was nearly sent sprawling; luckily he was able to block most of the impact. This man was no joke. However, he was not as skilled as Rosario. Tsuna hesitated, looking towards where Moldavite laid unmoving. He reached for what was in the inside of his pocket. Should he do it?

"Anything you do is worthless," said Griffith with a smirk, "Soon, you'll end up just like all these men that we killed. It'll be a beautiful addition."

Tsuna stared at the man with unreadable eyes, "Beautiful? You call this beauty," whispered Tsuna, coldness seeping through his voice.

Griffith laughed, "This is only the beginning. Soon the whole entire of Italy will be painted red-"

Before the man could say anymore, Tsuna sent him flying. Rostov, who had been watching in silence, widened his eyes as he realized what just happened. Rostov cursed before making towards the exit, "Griffith, MOVE! He's dangerous. We need to report this."

Griffith managed to land, albeit stumbling on his feet. He looked at the teen and stared with a tinge of fear in his eyes, "Why do you have those flames. Only the Vongola boss possesses that," said Griffith in shock.

"You will never know, you despicable man," said Tsuna softly.

At the sound of the man's voice, Griffith moved. But it was one second too late. Everything was over in a blink of an eye. Rostov gave a yell of anger as his companion dropped to ground unmoving.

"You'll pay for this. Rosario will have you destroyed, even with that flame of yours," snarled Rostov, before fleeing from the building.

Tsuna was half in mind to go after the man but at the sound of a groan he stopped. He gave a small sigh, his flames disappearing as quickly as they had appeared. He tucked the gloves away and hurried over to the injured advisor.

"Sir, are you alright?" asked Tsuna with a frown.

Moldavite winced, "Well, that could have gone a lot better."

Tsuna tried to help the man up, "We need to get out of here. I think that man's going to come back with the other man, sir"

Moldavite let out a small curse, allowing the teen to help, "He came out of nowhere. We were caught off guard."

Tsuna gave a small nod as they began walking into the drizzling rain. He was careful to keep his face turned slightly away from the man. He knew the man was trying to get a look at him, but he rather he'd not. Moldavite winced as the water dropped relentlessly on his wounds. They were behind the warehouse and on the streets filled with houses

"Shall we get out of the rain?" asked Tsuna quietly, motioning towards a covered alleyway. There was no answer, so Tsuna simply steered them there.

Once, there, Moldavite slumped against the wall, "I guess I am in debt to you."

Well he couldn't say he followed the advisor there now could he… Tsuna gave a small shrug before turning to the direction of the warehouses, "I just happened to be there, sir."

Tsuna frowned as he saw a group of men arriving to the warehouse they just vacated. There was some who went inside while others began splitting up. One of the men caught his attention. Squinting his eyes, he managed to make out the face of Vetro. That boss had come a moment too late. "Sir, I think your people are here," said Tsuna, turning back to the man, "I'll be leaving now.

As Tsuna turned to leave Moldavite spoke up, "Wait."

Tsuna paused and turned back. "Here, I am part of the Sabbia family. If ever you need something, present this to them and ask for Moldavite."

Tsuna raised his brow in surprise. The man was presenting him with a ring. He hesitated before accepting it. He had not planned for this to happen, but what was he to do?

Moldavite stared as the teen hastily moved back out into the rain that was now pouring down heavily. The male made a waving motion before quickly running off. Not a moment later, he saw a group of men going after the teen.

Moldavite forced himself to get up, and walk out of the alleyway. He was instantly spotted. Vetro rushed over to him, "Moldavite, what happened here? Are you alright?"

Moldavite nodded, "He sent Rosario, Vetro. I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything. That man was beyond my league."

Vetro frowned, his gray eyes flashed in anger, "This is war."

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I know it's rather rushed and choppy, but I have only been able to work at it when i have breaks from exams. Still, I hoped you enjoyed, and feel free to make any comments or critiques! Also, I wish for the best for Japan and hope the relief funds will help. If it is within your means to help whether it is small or large, it'll be real great.

Thank you for reading.


	13. Chapter XIII

Hi. I hope you all are enjoying the last couple weeks of summer! A lot of issues came up that I had to take care of. Thank you. Thank you. So Much thanks you all for reviewing! I am really sorry about the very late update. Thank you for sticking through the wait. Here is the next installment! Please enjoy... Happy Reading

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Tsuna sprinted through the streets, barely making out the street signs he passed. He could still hear the collective clattering of the men that were giving chase though it had grown significantly fainter the farther he ran. The rain had proven to be a beneficial bonus to hindering the pursuers, though it also put a hamper on his ability to navigate the area. He had almost taken a wrong turn numerous times, much to his panic and dismay. The street lamps that lined the city had yet to be ignited, limiting his sight even more. His only means of seeing were from the lights of the few shops that were still open.

As he skidded to a stop in a deserted alleyway and hid, the brunette could not help but let out a frustrated swear. Why couldn't they just give up? He had hoped that they would stop after the first few blocks, but with the way they had been dogging him, he doubt that they would be relenting anytime soon. They had already chased him a good deal away from the docks and if he were to be judging the distance correctly, he was only a mere five or six blocks away from Lucio's shop. At this rate, he would have to confront the men directly if he wanted them to stop. It was not something he was looking forward to.

He closed his eyes, as he tried to calm his breathing. Why did he have to be so noisy? It was times like these that he cursed his wonderful gift of intuition. Why was it that all his hunches end up leading him straight into a compromising, if not completely awful situation? Though he was not yet injured from this incident; everything from his cap all the way down to his socks and shoes, was completely soaked through. Granted he had gotten off lightly compared the Vetro's Family.

What he also did not understand was why they bothered following him. If anything, they should have been more worried about their advisor and the debacle that Rosario and his group left behind. He knew for a fact that Moldavite took a couple bad hits that probably needed to be checked, immediately. Then again, he couldn't exactly blame them for following him. After all, they probably thought he was the one behind the whole incident.

However, as much as he would like to clear that misunderstanding, he could not simply allow the men to catch him. He had already lost a good deal of the dye in the parts that the cap could not cover. And while it did make a strange but interesting hybrid mix, it was not welcoming. If they caught him in this state, there would definitely be even more questions that he was not inclined to answer. If they were to find out and report this, Moldavite would surely be suspicious.

He wouldn't put it past that advisor to figure it out immediately. Thankfully, the initial drizzle had evolved into a full out downpour. No one would be able to tell the color at this point; guess perhaps, but nothing more. Hell, he couldn't even see the difference as he looked at his reflection as he passed shops. Thus, all he had to do was just focus on running away.

His thoughts drifted to Vetro and he could not help but pity the mess the man had in his hands. Vetro had to deal with the pretty heavy blow to his ranks, which was never a welcoming thought to any Boss. Tsuna could not help but wince as the scene and its dreadful outcome reappeared in his mind.

While Tsuna, himself, had yet to lose so much people in one go, the tales that he had heard from both Reborn and the Ninth were one of the main reasons why he was always so cautious. He had definitely received plenty of criticism from other high ranking Family leaders and even some from the elders of Vongola.

He gave a small bitter smile as he recalled the constant meetings devoted simply to arguing his choice of people to send on delicate and important missions when there were more pressing matters to attend to. It was bad enough that he was the youngest to ever inherit but to also have so much people question him every step of the way? It was a wonder how he managed to get out of those meetings without exploding. He was brought out of his gloomy thoughts by a sudden movement.

"Well, well. It looks like we've found the little stray." Tsuna widened his eyes in surprise as three men stood at the entrance of the path he had taken. How in the world did they find him so quickly? And how did they manage to do it so quietly?

He slowly backed away from the wall, eyeing the three men warily. A quick glance towards the other end of the alley revealed three other men, blocking his alternative escape route. He silently cursed his carelessness; they had him boxed in. Well, there went the idea of getting away conflict free as he furtively readied himself for a fight. Unaware of the brunette's plans for the group, the group slowly drew closer to their target.

"Look, kid. You gave us a good chase but it ends here," commended the man with a small grin. He was a couple inches taller than Tsuna, with short wet curls that clung to the sides of the male's head. What was probably the most catching detail about the man was the single earring on his left ear. Tsuna squinted at item before making out a delicately cut insignia of what he assumed was the Sabbia's crest.

I-I… do-don't know what you're ta-talkin' bout, sir! Honest," said Tsuna in a high pitched tone, bringing his arms close to his head defensively, "Ple-please don't hurt me!"

He knew that he looked very meek and vulnerable, having perfected through his younger teenage years. Hopefully, it would help him stall for some time. The men did seem to be thrown off by the teen's behavior. The man that had spoken prior paused, frowning. Tsuna felt a tendril of hope well up inside him. Perhaps he could get out of this…

However, that hope was quickly quashed as one of the two men stepped closer to the assumed leader. He wore thick brimmed glasses and had a similar hair style to Giuseppe only slightly longer. He, too, had the same exact earring only on his right ear. They were definitely twins, if not, definitely related.

"Giuseppe… Trust me, it's definitely him," said the man in a quiet voice, "I remember that body form."

"But look at him, Matteo! He's just a brat, its pathetic," complained Giuseppe with a small scowl, halting their advancement, "There's no way he could have been responsible for all that mess. I know for a fact that Bianc could not have been brought down by this kid."

Tsuna gave a barely noticeable frown at the barb but did not vocalize his disagreement. He could have beaten him, but there was no way he would have killed the men. The man, Matteo, gave a small sigh, clearly having been through such a routine before.

"We were ordered to just bring him back, Beppe. Don't make such a fuss," chided Matteo with a slight growl.

"Alright, Alright…Teo," grumbled Giuseppe before glaring at the man, "But I still think that it is impossible."

Matteo only adjusted his glasses, "Shut up and do it, Beppe," ordered the male caustically.

Tsuna watched the exchange with a mixture of disbelief and amusement. Part of him was still wondering how they were capable of finding him when there was so much squabbling. Then again, the same could be said about all of his guardians, especially Lambo and Gokudera. It was a mystery as to how the two would come back successful after every mission considering all the fights they had in between.

Giuseppe glared once more at his companion before turning back towards the neglected teen, "Okay, kid. Like Matteo said, you're coming with us. Our boss would like to speak with you."

Tsuna widened his eyes in fear, backing as far as he could to the wall, "I-I th-think you ha-have the wrong per-person," stuttered the disguised teen in fear, "Ho-honest sir!"

There was no way he could possibly volunteer himself to be taken to be questioned. But from the looks of it, the two men seemed to have made up their minds. It seemed that all his acting was for naught; what a shame.

Giuseppe sighed as he flexed his hands, "You're outnumbered, boy. Personally, I'd rather we didn't have to do this to you but… Orders are orders, right Teo?"

Matteo only nodded his agreement, quickly advancing towards Tsuna. The teen tensed in preparation. The Vongola leader waited for the male to approach with a grim smile. If it was a fight that they wanted… well, let's just say he was not going to go down quietly.

Giuseppe widened his eyes as sensed and saw the sudden change in demeanor, "Now, there's no need to-!"

The teen launched himself at Matteo just as the man aimed a punch. As expected, Matteo flinched, allowing Tsuna enough time to ram into the man. The impact of the brunette was enough to send the unprepared straight into the wall. This instantly spurred the other men into action, breaking away from their blockade formation as they all tried to attack at once.

Giuseppe let out a curse as he realized all too late, "Shit, you idiots get back!"

That was just what Tsuna had hoped for. With the disorganization, Tsuna was quick to dispose of the men, using the narrowness of the alleyway to his advantage. While these men were definitely good at tracking, their skills in combat were mediocre at best.

Just as he knocked the final man out of his way to freedom, a sudden slam to his back sent him skidding into a pile of empty crates. The cap on his head slipped into his line of sight, blinding him as he went crashing into wood. The collision was just as painful as the hit to his back making him groan as multiple areas of his body flared in pain. He did not need to check to know that there would be scratches on his back. He pushed his cap away from his face and staggered up, warily eyeing the source. Giuseppe.

Giuseppe stared at the teen with a mixture of trepidation and anger. Part of him wished that he had taken more heed to what Matteo had just said. Clearly, they had been fooled by the teen's initial little act and were definitely unprepared. This person, whoever he was, was dangerous. But now that the element of surprise was gone, there was no way Giuseppe was going to allow any more errors.

"So you really are the culprit," muttered Giuseppe with a snarl, "I will have you be taken to Vetro."

"I had nothing to do with the deaths of your comrades," growled Tsuna with a frown, "In fact, I saved your advisor."

Giuseppe scoffed in disbelief, "You are a liar. I have no need to believe you," sneered the man, "You seem to have no trouble annihilating my men here."

Tsuna grimaced at the hostility but readied himself once more. There was no point in talking reason if the man refused to listen. An idea formed in his mind and while it was a far cry from what he would usually do, he needed to act fast. He could see Matteo struggling to get up. He was not keen on the idea of having a two on one.

The disguised brunette rushed towards the man as if to punch, only to slip off his cap and throw it into the man's face. Momentarily blinded by the obstruction, Giuseppe never saw the uppercut to his abdominal region. The man was knocked back and down instantly.

Tsuna broking into a run, fleeing from the group of defeated men. He had no desire to stay any longer, especially if they were going to try capturing him again. However, he could not help but pity Giuseppe. He knew for a fact that the attack hurt a lot, especially when one was unprepared for it.

That was actually how he had gotten Hibari once in a practice fight. He had ended up fracturing two of his guardian's ribs. The Cloud had been furious and was very close to returning the deed had Ryohei not jumped in to pacify the angry guardian.

Meanwhile, Giuseppe could only watch as the teen disappeared from their grasp. They had been so close. He cursed their luck before grimacing at throbbing pain in his front. He would definitely bruise from that hit. For one with such a small stature, he was surprisingly powerful. Giuseppe grasped the cap in his hand angrily. Though the tactic was underhanded, it was very clever of the teen. But the boss was not going to be happy about this.

Matteo stumbled over to Giuseppe, only to sit next to the man ignoring the glare that was aimed at him. "Vetro's going to kill us," said Matteo in resignation, as he tried to clean his glasses to no avail, "Did that hit feel as spectacular as it looked?"

Giuseppe glared at his twin, before using the cap to strike his brother on the head "Shut up, Teo. At least I wasn't the first to go down to a novice move," rumbled Giuseppe, only to wince at the pain the movement had caused him. The man continued with a depressed look, "This is by far the worst failure that we've had. I can't believe we were so careless."

Giuseppe looked at his sibling who was staring at the cap with a frown, "What's wrong?"

"Give me that hat," said Matteo sharply.

Without waiting for an answer, the man grabbed the cap and sniffed it. After a moment, Matteo cursed before shoving the item back into Giuseppe's hand, "Smell it," muttered Matteo quietly, "He is definitely no ordinary man. We've been taken for a ride."

Giuseppe raised his brow in confusion before taking a whiff of the cap himself. He wrinkled his nose in distaste. "It smells like perfume, Teo," said Giussepe, "I don't know see how perfume-"

"It was to hide the smell of Frierdo's dye," interrupted Matteo, "Trust me, I know that smell from anywhere, even with that perfume."

Giuseppe widened his eyes as he realized just where Matteo was going, "So you think it's probably them?"

"You know Frierdo only makes these dyes for certain bosses…only eight particular ones in Italy, two of which are in the alliance."

The two watched quietly as the rest of the men beginning to stir, "What happened at the docks wasn't some random assault; it was planned, Beppe. We need to report this to Vetro."

"Shit. He's not going to be happy at all," said Giuseppe grimly. The boss was going to be downright furious.

"Let's get back," said Matteo with a sigh, "I have a feeling our relaxing days are over."

From a distance of two blocks, Tsuna eyed the group of men trudging away from the alleyway he now resided in. Though he could not hear what they said but it was quite clear from their action that they had called off the chase. All six men were leaving.

Once he was absolutely certain that there was no chance of them returning, he turned back into the alleyway and let out a sigh of relief. He was sure that the only person that could possibly follow him was Matteo and he had seen that man helping an injured Giuseppe leave. The chase was finally over.

He frowned, pulling a clump of his hair into sight. The dye had deteriorated faster than he had hoped after he had thrown it. The only remaining signs were slight streaks of black. Other than that, his hair was back to its original brunette color. He would have to apologize to Giotto about the loss of the hat. Scratch that thought, he would have to apologize for the destruction of his entire outfit.

His clothes were definitely out of commission as small tears from the splintered wood littered both the vest and shirt. His pants were also in a sorry state with indescribable gunk that clung from the run. He was a complete mess.

Luckily, the amount of people out had thinned considerably since the storm had begun. At most, there were either one or two stragglers wandering about at each block. None of the people took notice of his bedraggled appearance; too busy trying to reach their destinations to care.

The brunette quickly headed towards his destination. He could feel the dull ache that had begun to spread from his lower back, up. Clearly, Giuseppe had been on another level than the others. The fact that he had escaped the brunette's notice to land a hit showed it. And if his assumption about Matteo being related to Giuseppe was correct, then he was lucky that he taken Matteo out first. There was no telling what could have happened if he had taken the two head on. He was willing to bet that the two probably fought better as a tag team than alone. If that were to happen, he doubted that he would come out of the fight with just mild back pains.

Tsuna made a quick stop at the dining shop where he had spent most of his day only to see it completely dark and unoccupied. As he had expected, the two workers were already long gone. He had no other option but to continue the lonely trudge towards Charles' shop. It didn't help that the adrenaline prior to the walk was gradually waning, making the cold a lot more noticeable.

Tsuna gave a slight shiver before sneezing, "This is just great," muttered the brunette to no one in particular. At this rate, he might as well welcome the possibility of getting the flu, lovely.

The brunette quickly walked the last couple of blocks, arriving to Charles's shop just as the rain was beginning to let up. He could not help but be drawn in by its warm glowing exterior. As he approached the door, he could make out shouts and laughter and could not help but hesitate. He did not want to interrupt the festivities with his sudden soppy entrance. Nor was he was not keen on the idea of being attacked upon the sight of his appearance.

If he remembered correctly he had passed a side door when Charles was taking him up to the guest room. Now which side was it on? He threaded around the shop before spotting the side entrance that was open just a crack, probably to let in some of the rainy evening breeze flow in.

He opened the door and entered quietly into the back room of the shop. As he turned to close the door, a sudden yank pulled him back. Purely out of reflex, he reacted with a punch only to be halted by none other than Charles.

The man looked at the male before him suspiciously, "Who are you? And what are you doing in my shop?"

Tsuna raised his brow; the man's grip on his arm was hard and unrelenting, "It's me, Charles. Thomas, Tsuna?" ventured Tsuna with a shaky smile.

Though he was sure that the owner would be a great opponent, he was too tired to try. All the exhaustion was finally catching up to him bit by bit. He did not want to mess with the man right now.

The owner of the shop frowned before his eyes widened in recognition, "Tsuna?" said the man in surprise, quickly letting go of the advisor's hand "You look absolutely horrible. I did not recognize you at all!"

The brunette scratched his wet hair and laughed sheepishly, "Yes. I know. I was wondering if you happen to have some towels. I rather not get your shop wetter than I already have."

Already there was a puddle of water growing around the brunette. Charles shook his head in disbelief before going towards a closet. After a moment of rummaging, he produced two towels and a mop.

"I take it that you had a rather adventurous day," said the Charles with a wry smile, "It seems you have Giotto's knack for getting into trouble."

Tsuna tilted his head in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"Last time, Giotto came back completely covered some god awful smelling goop and other little nasties," said Charles in remembrance, "Never did tell me how that happened."

Tsuna raised his brow in amusement as he tried to imagine the image but it proved to be unbelievable in his mindscape. Giotto did not seem like the type to get into messes.

He accepted the towels from Charles with a sigh of relief, "That sounds like a nightmare," commented Tsuna. He tossed one of the towels to the banister of the stair before using the other to rub his hair.

The owner watched the brunette with a nostalgic smile, "You had to be there in order to believe it. What was funnier was the fact that-"

Charles was interrupted by the sound of a slight but firm knock. "Charles… Don't corrupt my advisor with your tales," chided the very man that they were talking about. Giotto was leaning against the entrance of the back room, arms crossed. He was dressed casually; a simple navy dress shirt and black slacks as opposed to the usual formal ensemble. The small smile his face indicated that he had heard every word.

Charles turned to Giotto with a grin, "But what if the stories are true, Giotto?" taunted the man cheerfully, not at all panicked by his sudden appearance. Tsuna hid a grin under the towel and continued the slow process of drying his hair.

Giotto only shook his head in amusement, "Go back outside Charles. Your wife is wondering why you're taking so long."

"Ah, my dear_principessa_ calls," said Charles with a dramatic sigh, "You'd think they'd become more refined as they grow older. Bah."

Tsuna could not help but chuckle at the man's comment while Giotto simply smiled, "You better hope she never catches wind of you saying that," warned the Vongola Boss mischievously, "Your lucky that she hasn't found out about the time you-"

"Very well," interrupted Charles with a mock glare, "I must say before I go, that was very low of you, Giotto." He grabbed two bottles from a rack and presented Giotto with the mop, "You will be taking care of the rest?" asked Charles with a raised brow.

Giotto simply took the mop and beckoned the man to leave. "Of course I will, Charles. Now go, before I decide to enlighten my advisor about the time you and Lucio tried to,"

"Alright, alright!" said Charles in alarm, "No need to bring all these issues up. They are in the past, the past!" With that, the owner of the shop quickly departed from the room and back to the merriment in the front room. Once the man left, Giotto turned his attention towards the neglected brunette.

Tsuna did not need to look up to know that there was a frown on the man's face. After a moment, Giotto let out a small sigh. The unasked question lingered heavily and Tsuna could not help but shift uncomfortably at the potentially unwelcoming news that he needed to report.

This thought brought him to the item that was tucked inside his pocket with his gloves. What was he going to do about the ring now that he had accepted it? There was so much to say, but where to start?

The brunette slowly removed the towel from his head letting it hang from his shoulders to look at the boss. "I apologize for not following your orders but... something came up that I needed to check out." The brunette continued looking somberly at the boss, "What I found was not exactly the greatest news. I think it would be best if I told you later?"

Giotto arched his brow at the sudden grimness of the brunette but did not press the man. Instead, the blonde beckoned Tsuna towards the stairs, "Go to the room. I'll clean that up."

Tsuna managed a small grateful smile, thankful that the blonde did not question his choice. He grabbed the extra towel from the banister before heading up to the room, doing his best to let as little water drip as possible. It was a poor attempt as he inevitably left small puddles on the ground and stairs.

Once in the room, the brunette slowly stripped off the gunk filled pants and destroyed outfits. He was careful to not irritate the scratches on his back which were still aching from the fall into the crates.

He had caught a fleeting glance from the mirror and it did not look pretty at all. If anything, it looked like a kitten had decided that his back would make a good scratching post and went wild. Thankfully, most of the injuries were just first and second-degree abrasions with the exception of the moderate size bruise from Giuseppe. Other than those small wounds, he was completely fine.

He dropped the garments on the soggy towel that he had used to dry his hair. The rest of his items, namely his gloves and the ring were placed on the small bed, covered by the thin blanket. He was highly tempted to just drop himself on the bed and sleep away the night, but Giotto was waiting.

He used the extra towel to wipe himself once more before tying it to his waist. Only then, did he remember what he was missing, his clothes. The bag all his belongings were not here; it was still downstairs with Charles. He let out a small curse. How was he going to get that? He was not keen on the idea of putting the wet clothes back on. It was a pain to take it off and he highly doubted that the reverse process would be any better. Perhaps he could sneak down?

A sharp knock brought him out of his thoughts. Tsuna frowned before moving to answer the door to Giotto, who was leaning on the mop that he was given. The Vongola boss arched his brow at the sight of the half naked advisor, "Is there any reason why you haven't dressed yet?" asked the blonde evenly, though the look in his eyes clearly indicated his amusement.

However, it was quick to disappear when the blonde set his sights on the bruised hand. By then, the brunette could not help but doubly curse his predicament. The Boss had noticed. Tsuna quickly used the hand to scratch his head, his face a slight red from embarrassment, "Actually, I forgot that I had given Charles the-."

"Bag that is downstairs, behind the counter?" finished Giotto as he observed the brunette with a frown. Tsuna gaped at the man before giving a reluctant nod. He could not help but feel as if he was being scrutinized, bit by bit. It was clear that the Giotto was not happy.

Said man stared at the brunette before shaking his head, not knowing what to think. He had seen the bag earlier when he first arrived and had expected the brunette to be around as well. But imagine his surprise when the man was not present at the party.

He and Charles had planned the arrangement so that all the people from the shops that he had circled would be attending under the guise of Charles' daughter's birthday. That way, Tsuna would have been taken back as well if the brunette were to have forgotten the way. So why was the one he set this up for missing?

When he spoke with Sonia and Lucio, they had informed him that the brunette left roughly two hours before they finished closing. Both expressed their suspicions and worry, having come to the conclusion that Tsuna had decided to follow one or both of the advisors. Giotto was surprised and by the brunette's choice. He had thought the man to be reluctant to do anything in general, so it was definitely a shock when the advisor left the restaurant on his own accord.

That left Giotto with no choice but to wait until his missing advisor arrived. For the next hour or so, Giotto contented himself with the companionship of his people. After all, it had been a long time since he had a legitimate excuse to not work.

G had gone ahead, returning to headquarters, muttering about having to meet with Knuckle and Asari for a drink. Giotto did not question it, glad that the guardian had not forced him to return as well. It was not until much later that the brunette made his appearance.

Giotto had been talking with Lucio when Charles' wife, Camilla, came to ask if Giotto could get Charles and if Lucio would help her with the food. Apparently, her husband was taking too long and she needed to mind the guests. Giotto complied while Lucio followed the woman to the front stove. Both knew better than to disobey the woman's requests. They had seen what had happened to Charles and they were reluctant to be targeted by Camilla. It would be most unwise.

He quickly made his way to the backroom, only to be greeted with a surprise. There stood his advisor, mere inches from striking Charles in the face. Though the older male had stopped the possibility of a hit, he did not let go. Neither man noticed his presence which was fine by Giotto, that is, until Charles started talking about the past.

Before the café owner could continue the tale, the Vongola boss made it known that he was present. Tsuna seemed completely surprised at the male's presence while Charles simply smiled, as if he already knew. Giotto did not put it past the man to have already known from the beginning. He could not recall a time where he had escaped the man's notice.

When Charles departed to pacify his wife, Giotto was left with a mop and a sopping wet advisor. Questions for the brunette made themselves known in the Vongola's mind, especially concerning what the brunette had done in the time he had left the shop until now.

Instead of asking, Giotto found himself sending the man up to the room. It was such a surprise that Tsuna had been so solemn. That left him to clean up the puddles that had been left behind and to collect his thoughts. It was when he'd reached the top of the stairs that he realized the brunette probably had nothing to change into. And right he was.

When the brunette answered his knock, Giotto was greeted with the sight of a half dressed advisor. It was funny until he took note of the injuries the brunette seemed to have accumulated. Again. There was a small but dark bruise on the advisor's hand and the small scratches on the side of the brunette's ribs indicated that he had quite possibly hurt his back as well.

Just what had the brunette gotten in his absence? The blonde could not help but be reminded of what G said to him when he was younger. Clearly he was not the only one who had a gift of getting into trouble…Which brought him back to the problem at hand.

Meanwhile, Tsuna could only watch as a series of emotions flitted through the Vongola's eyes. Another sigh escaped the man's mouth. Whether it was from frustration or amusement, Tsuna did not know nor did he want to. Giotto shook his head once more before letting himself into the room, leaving the mop outside in the hall.

Once Giotto was in the room, he made his way to the bed and began to fumble underneath it. After a moment, the man pulled out two bags that were virtually identical to the one that was left downstairs.

Tsuna stared in surprise as the man check both bags before tossing the brunette the bulkier one. "There should be some shirts and pants that you can wear. We'll have to get your clothes, later," said Giotto with a slight smile, "Change into what you can, preferably what you wore before you came here."

Tsuna nodded, having already taken out a pair of dark brown pants, similar to the one he wore before. With the exclusion of the small bottles of dye, the bag held the exact contents as the bag he had earlier today with just changes and styles. As he quickly pulled up his pants, he could not help but wonder where Giotto got all of this. He was startled out of his thoughts by Giotto's next comment.

"Now, about your hand and back," muttered Giotto as he began setting out small jars and cloth rolls the bag that he held. Tsuna could not help but twitch at the comment. Though he could not hide the bruise on his hand, he had made sure his back hidden from the blonde's view.

"How did you know about that?" blurted Tsuna in confusion.

Giotto gave a slight smile, "I didn't. But now that I do, all the more reason to find that bottle," muttered the blonde as he began searching once more. "Don't put your shirt on yet."

Tsuna could only gap at the man before sighing, so much for being careful. He pulled on the pants before seating himself on the ground next to Giotto, watching as the man sorted the contents of the bag. It was a wonder how the Vongola was able to tell the bottles apart; they all looked the same to Tsuna.

Finally, Giotto set aside a small jar and a roll bandages. "Turn around," ordered Giotto as he got up to rinse his hands. The brunette widened his eyes as he realized just what the man was planning to do and he protested, "I can do it myself. There's no need for you to-"

"You'll only be able to reach part of you back," interrupted the Vongola with a raised brow, "There isn't much left so I need to make sure it is evenly spread."

Tsuna frowned as the man began washing his hands, before reluctantly turning to face the door. There was really no need for him to do this, unless. Tsuna raised his brow as he realized the man's motive and let out a small laugh, "Would you like to hear it from the beginning?" asked the advisor with a slight grin, "Or shall I wait until we return to your office?" He turned his head to gauge the Vongola's reaction.

Giotto did not even pause as the brunette figured it out. He seated himself on the floor and calmly opening the jar to scoop out the salve, "Well, how about you figure out what to say in the office, right now?" suggested the blond man amiably.

Tsuna craned his neck to get a look at the salve before a whiff of the lotion made him turn to the door, "Do all of these things have such a…strong smell?" grumbled the brunette in distaste, momentarily forgetting about what he was going to report.

"Knuckle isn't one for scents. You are not the only one who has complained about it," replied Giotto with a small chuckle, "Brace yourself."

Tsuna nodded. Yet even with the warning, he could not help but let a hiss of pain as the reeking substance met his skin. The touches burned, stinging his wounds to the point where it actually hurt more than actually getting injured. Tsuna could not help but wonder just what Knuckle mixed together to give the salve such a strong punch before biting back a yelp as it was applied to a more open cut, near his back waist.

Giotto dabbed the last of the wounds and watched sympathetically as Tsuna flinched once more. He knew how much it hurt. He also knew that Knuckle had purposely made the ointment sting just to teach Giotto a lesson on getting hurt during his escapades. The man had a surprisingly vindictive streak, not that he would admit it. However, as much as it hurt, it was invaluably useful. After all, the man had laced some of the ingredients with his own flames.

"Give it a minute or two for it to stop hurting," said Giotto as he took the now empty jar to the small sink to wash, "Believe me it'll feel a lot better"

Tsuna only nodded, not trusting his voice to stay steady. Wow, that packed a punch. But true to the Vongola's words, a cool sensation soon replaced the burning one making the brunette sigh in relief.

Once he trusted himself to move without wincing, he grabbed the roll of bandages. He had barely begun unwinding the roll when it was taken away from him. "Just stay still. I said I would do it for you," chided Giotto with a slight frown, "Be thankful."

"Thanks," said the brunette reluctantly allowing the man to wrap his back. Though he would not admit it, it was nice not having to do anything for once. How long has it last been since someone had just simply pampered him? Not since he had left his home in Japan. And that had been two years ago.

His friends did whatever they could to help him out and for that, he was thankful. Though oft times, he ended up indulging them instead. He knew of the assignments that they had been given were difficult, after all he was the one who assigned them. But it couldn't be helped.

"Alright, that's about it." muttered Giotto, giving a small nod at his work. He tossed what was left of the roll into the bag and began to gather the bottles.

Tsuna sat for a moment before getting up to put on the gray dress shirt that he had taken out prior to the treatment. As he finished buttoning up the last button, the door to the room was wrenched open, revealing a completely ecstatic woman, who looked to be in her late thirties.

The woman wore a russet fitted bodice and skirt that with a manila colored apron over the ensemble. She had dark blond hair that was tied back in a thick braid that ended at her waist and green eyes that were brimming with excitement.

However, that enthusiasm was quickly extinguished into alarm. Before Tsuna could get a word in, he was sent sprawling into the bed. Who knew that someone in a dress could be so fast? Before the brunette could retaliate, Giotto interfered, holding the woman back with an amused chuckle. "Camilla, calm down. That was my advisor you just hit."

Camilla widened her eyes in surprise, "Giotto! I thought you told everybody that you wouldn't have one again. And he doesn't even look like he's over twenty!"

"Now, now Camilla, I take it that Charles hasn't explained it to you," said Giotto with a raised brow, "He is an exception. I chose him."

Camilla looked at the Vongola in disbelief before letting out a small sigh. "Well, if it's like that then I guess… it'll be okay."

Giotto smiled reassuringly before turning to Tsuna, "Is your back alright? It looked like you landed pretty hard."

He could see the instant worry that had formed in the woman's eyes as Giotto mentioned the hit. Tsuna nodded, "Yes, I'm fine. Just wasn't prepared for that," said the advisor with an assuring smile.

"Very well, then. Camilla, I would like you to meet my advisor, Tsuna. He was originally from Japan but he decided to come to aid me and learn more about Italy," introduced Giotto, "Tsuna, this is Camilla, Charles lovely wife."

Tsuna bowed to the woman, "Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," greeted the brunette with a smile.

Camilla eyed the male for a good minute before giving a small smile of acceptance, "Well aren't you a sweet one. Call me Camilla," said the woman, "I do apologize for that sudden attack. I had come up here expecting only one. So imagine my surprise when there were two!"

Tsuna shook his head, "No harm done, Ma'- Camilla. It's all in the past."

Camilla smiled before turning to Giotto with a small giggle, "Now, the reason that I came up here was to break the news!"

Giotto raised his brow, "And what would that be?"

"Lucio finally proposed to Sonia!" squealed Camilla in utter happiness. "They want you to be their best man!"

Giotto widened his eyes in surprise, "That sly man. He finally did it!"

Camilla nodded excitedly, "The ring is beautifully done. The two are so adorable. It reminds me of my proposal."

Tsuna only raised his brow in amusement as he sat on the bed and slipped on a black vest and shoes. He would have to congratulate him the next time he saw Lucio. As the two continued talking, Tsuna took the opportunity to slip the hidden contents from the bed into the inner pocket of his vest. He would deal with the questions later. Once he was all set, he sat patiently listening to the conversation in silence.

"Do you think that it would be possible to have the wedding in the courtyard?" asked Camilla with a thoughtful look. "I know for a fact that Sonia would be delighted if that were possible. She loves it there."

"Well, I'm sure that it can be arranged, if they want to. It would be an honor."

"In such hard times, it is truly a blessing to see those two together."

"Yes, I'm sure that the news will spread rapidly," said Giotto with a knowing smile, "Especially with you and Charles around."

Camilla gave a small huff of indignation, "You know how much this means to them! They have been dancing around it for years. I already have two daughters!"

"Remember to go over things with Sonia first," warned Giotto, "I'm sure she has plans as well."

"Of course," said the woman with a raised brow, before gasping, "Oh dear, I said I would bring you down but here I am talking away."

Giotto chuckled, "Well, we were planning to come down, right Tsuna? I'm sure you're hungry as well."

Tsuna looked up to the two in surprise before nodding his head vigorously, "Yes. That would be great," said the brunette with a smile. He had been close to dozing off. It wasn't like he was doing it on purpose but sitting on the bed was another reminder to just how tired his was. Thankfully, neither noticed, his lapse in attention as Camilla beckoned the two to follow. Tsuna quickly scrambled up as the two already left the room, still talking about the wedding.

"We still have plenty of food that has yet to be eaten," said the woman with a smile, "I'm sure that it'll fill you up in no time."

Tsuna gave a grateful smile, "I'm looking forward to it." At the mention of food, his stomach was suddenly feeling very empty. Come to think of it, the last time he had eaten was at noon and that had been hours ago. Had Reborn been here, he would have definitely scolded Tsuna. He gave a slight shiver, for once glad he was in the past.

After introductions, he already knew most of the people there; Camilla managed to get him a platter of spaghetti that was loaded with sauce, meat, and even vegetables. It was huge. He had wanted to protest, but the look Giotto gave him when he saw, made him reconsider. Apparently, Camilla was known to have a big temper and was not to be trifled with. Tsuna wisely decided to eat.

The birthday celebration, now coupled with the news of the proposal brought the party into its highest peak. It was so loud, Tsuna had to wonder how no one seemed to come over and complain. If anything, it seemed like there were even more people arriving. And the fact that he was also sitting with Giotto meant that plenty of people came to talk to him as well.

He had even managed to see Lucio and Sonia, though they did not recognize him initially. Sonia looked like she had been crying before but clearly that did not dither her from laughing and shouting happily. Lucio stood relaxed by her side, talking with those who had come up to congratulate them.

"Giotto, who is this," asked Sonia in curiosity, "I have never seen him before."

Giotto who had been talking to a middle aged man raised his brow, "I think you have met." He turned back to his previously interrupted conversation, leaving his advisor to make amends.

Tsuna put down his fork and answered with a slight grin. "Ma'am, I'm hurt," said Tsuna reverting to his earlier guise, "How could you forget 'bout me so fast?"

"Don't call me ma'am…" Sonia widened her eyes in surprise, "Thomas!"

Tsuna smiled, "My actual name is Tsuna. It is a pleasure to meet you once again, ma'am. I take it that you did not have to confess tonight?"

"I told you to call me Sonia!" said the woman with a small glare, "Wait, you knew that he was going to confess to me?"

Tsuna widened his eyes, "Yes, of course not ma', I mean Sonia."

"Thomas…"

Tsuna gave a small nervous laugh, "It was a surprise?"

Lucio chuckled at the brunette's antics, "Now, now don't be like that."

"Be like what?" asked Sonia testily, though there was an amused glint in her eyes, "I have half in mind to get Camilla to come here and-"

Tsuna quickly changed the topic before the two could start bickering, "Congratulations, Sonia, Lucio. I wish you both the best. You two look wonderful together, truly wonderful."

Lucio nodded his thanks while Sonia instantly smiled; turning a rich shade of red that complimented her skin, "Thank you, Tsuna though I still won't forgive you for not telling. That means a lot to me." She turned to Lucio, a loving gaze in her eyes, "This is the most wonderful day of my life, Lucio."

"I know," replied Lucio simply.

Before they could say anymore, Camilla came quickly to take the newly engaged couple to meet others who wanted to see them as well. Tsuna watched them go with a smile, glad to have seen the two once more.

"I don't think I can look at another plate of spaghetti the same, ever again," muttered Tsuna with a small groan as he sat with a glass of light wine. It had taken him a good half hour to finish his meal.

Giotto who had been sitting across from him chuckled, "I'm surprised you managed to finish the plate at all. Even I have trouble eating all of that in one sitting."

"Wait, she did this on purpose?"

"So are you ready to go, Thomas?" asked Giotto, changing the topic with a slight smile, "Or is that not possible at the moment?"

Tsuna glared at blond male who had only had a slice of cake, "You purposely…Just because you-!" The brunette sighed glumly, "Never mind, I'm ready whenever you are sir."

Giotto laughed, startling Tsuna and surprising those who sat around them, before getting up. Up until now, Tsuna had only ever heard the man chuckle at most, so it was definitely a shock though it was pleasant to listen to. Meanwhile the others around began shouting, "What's so funny that you're actually laughing, Giotto?"

"Nothing really. Just remembered something from the past," said Giotto smoothly, before getting up and tapping a fork against his glass. Almost instantly, the shop was silent. One could almost hear the sound of the rain outside. "First off, I would like to wish Diana a happy fifteenth birthday."

There was a round of clapping and shouts for the girl that was sitting with Camilla. Said girl gave thanks and curtsied with a slight blush at all the attention. Once the round of applause was over, everyone silenced once more, waiting in anticipation.

"Next, I would like to congratulate Lucio Conti and Sonia Rizzo for finally being engaged," said Giotto with a beaming smile at the couple. There was a roar of approval from all that was present. Tsuna could only stare in admiration, such a tight knitted group; it left him giddy and relaxed. And at the front of it was Giotto commanding the people's attention with relative ease. Tsuna smiled quietly before taking a sip of his wine only to nearly choke at what Giotto said next.

"Finally, I would like to reintroduce you all to my new advisor, Tsuna. He will be staying for an intermittent amount of time," said Giotto easily, "He came all the way from Japan, so please welcome him."

Tsuna tried getting up while also clearing his throat from the clog of wine. "Hi. Pleased to meet you all," said Tsuna with a small smile only to bang into the chair that he had been sitting in.

The brunette could not help but curse at his clumsiness. There was a moment of silence before Charles burst out laughing, "Really, Tsuna. You are a really strange man, composed one moment and then clumsy the next." There was accompanied laughter while Tsuna could only blush and take it with a laugh.

Giotto chuckled, "With that all in mind, please enjoy the rest of the party." Not a minute passed before the people returned to its previous vigor. Camilla made her way over to the two men as they prepared to leave. "Won't you two stay any longer?"

"No, but I do apologize Camilla. However, I have stayed for far too long," said Giotto with a small smile, "G will definitely be furious with me if I stay any longer. And I still have work that needs to done."

Camilla huffed in annoyance, "One of these days, I will have my way with him!" said the woman determinedly, "He'll definitely remember! Are you sure?" The Vongola boss nodded.

"Fine, here's the satchel that Charles hid for Tsuna," said Camilla with a resigned sigh. She handed over the bag and a small basket that was practically overflowing with food, "And take this back with you. If I know you well enough, you'll probably end up stay up all night."

Giotto smiled warmly, "Thank you, Camilla. I'll be sure to have someone return the basket tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it," said Camilla airily, "If someone doesn't look after your wellbeing, then where will we all be?" She did not wait for a reply, already making her way back to her daughter. Once she was reunited with her child, Giotto turn back to his advisor, who had once again been accosted by the men.

Andrew, who had brought his family, was once again asking questions, "Yo, Tsuna, you still haven't explained what a tako-what was that thing called again?"

Tsuna raised his brow in surprise, "Takoyaki? It's just round ball batter with cooked octopus in it."

"That's so peculiar!" muttered Andrew with another queasy look akin to the one he had in the morning. Rounds of laughter broke through café at the man's face.

"Andrew, you really need to curb that curiosity of yours," joked Charles with a grin, "One day, you'll really end up retching out your meal."

The carpenter gave a half-hearted glared, "Well, I haven't yet."

Tsuna gave a slight grin, "It's not that bad… It's popular amongst kids."

"Yes, I agree with Tsuna. It is rather delicious for a snack," added Giotto with an amused smile. Tsuna raised his brow, though he was thankful for the interruption.

Andrew seemed to pale even more, "You tried it?" sputtered the man in disbelief, "And you liked it?"

"Yes, I did," said Giotto before beckoning Tsuna to follow, "I'll be taking my advisor now." There was a groan of disapproval from the group that had gathered. They had wanted to hear more about the strange foods of Japan. However, each grudgingly waved or shouted a farewell before dispersing once more.

A good ten minutes passed before the two were actually out of the café and in the streets. It seemed that everyone wanted to get a word in, with either Giotto or introducing themselves to Tsuna. Tsuna let out a small sigh of relief as they began walking.

"Was that too much for you?" asked Giotto suddenly, startling Tsuna into looking at the man. "No, not at all," replied the brunette quickly, "It was interesting." He really did enjoy stay.

The blond man smiled in amusement, only to frown as he looked ahead. Tsuna followed his glance towards the end of the block and could not help but raise his brow. It was Alaude, along with what looked to be the butler, Jared. Tsuna was pretty sure that the man was probably more than just an average butler considering the way the man was watching their surroundings.

"Alaude, I'm surprised that you're out voluntarily," said Giotto with a raised brow, before handing the bag and basket that he was carrying to Tsuna.

"One of my men has reported to me that Vetro is planning to come with his men," said Alaude, with a frown.

Tsuna bit back a gasp, nearly dropping the basket of food he had taken. Giotto narrowed his eyes; all sign of ease completely slipped from the man's features, "What are we waiting for? Let's go," ordered Giotto tersely, already breaking into a run.

The rest of the group followed the man in silence. Instantly, all the cheer that Tsuna felt dissipated into worry. Just what was Vetro planning to do? He couldn't possibly think that it was the Vongola that set the attack, could he? He had a really bad feeling about this meeting. Perhaps he should tell Giotto about what had happened.

"Giotto, about this afternoon, I-"

"Tell him later, advisor," interrupted Alaude with a slight glance to Tsuna, "It's not safe to speak out here; especially at this time." Tsuna bit his lip before giving a reluctant nod. As they drew closer to the building complex, Tsuna could not help but be overcome with a sense of foreboding.

"Do you know how many he brought with him?" said Giotto as they slowed down to a walk. The building seemed strangely quiet.

Alaude shook his head, "I would believe that it would be either ten to fifteen, possibly more. He doesn't want to draw too much attention."

"Do you know when?"

"No, but I would say no sooner than an hour."

Giotto frowned. That was not enough to start an attack. However, that was more than enough to make a splash and pose as a threat. As they entered the building, Giotto began walking towards his office, "Alaude… Go get the rest of the guardians. I believe that they should all be down in that room. Tell them to get prepared to be at the conference room." The man gave a slight nod already walking towards the stairs followed by Jared.

Tsuna followed the Vongola boss into the office, seating himself at the couch while placing the basket on the table. He watched as the man began looking though the new reports that had been placed at his desk.

After awhile, Giotto looked up and gave Tsuna a pointed look, "So, tell me about what happened. Be quick."

Tsuna closed his eyes with a sigh and began massaging his temple, "Silice works for Vetro; he's an undercover agent." The blunt reply made Giotto look up with a raised brow. Tsuna continued, "Not only that, but apparently, there's a spy here as well. He goes by the name of Caius, though I doubt that he is using that name here."

That got the blonde man's attention, "Really," said Giotto with a slight frown, "Did they give any mentioning of how he looked?"

Tsuna shook his head, a grim smile on his face "No, just that he was one of the newest recruits," supplied Tsuna with a small shrug "From what they said, it seems like he hasn't been able to get any information," added the brunette hastily.

"I see," said Giotto thoughtfully, his paperwork left forgotten on his desk. "I'll have to inform Alaude about this."

Tsuna continued, "Silice doesn't seem to have to all of what Scoria has, but he succeeded in getting what Vetro wanted, business account access."

Giotto frowned, "I thought so. I didn't see what else that man had to gain from him."

"Yes, and-. Wait, you knew already?" said Tsuna in disbelief.

He took the sudden silence as an affirmation. Tsuna eyed the blond man suspiciously, "How long have you known about this?"

"Before the three families made the alliance," said Giotto simply. When he saw the look of disbelief on the brunette's face, he chuckled, "The assignment was more for you than me though the news that there is a spy in our ranks is rather informative."

Tsuna nodded in understanding though he was still a bit peeved by what the man had done to him. He supposed it did help him pinpoint the family that was the problem. "That's about it for their meeting. Moldavite ended up going to the docks. I don't know where Silice went. There isn't much to report, if you already know most of this."

"So why did you not return with Sonia and Lucio?" asked Giotto in curiosity, "I'm sure they asked you to go with them."

Tsuna gave a small smile of nervousness, "I followed Moldavite." This time it was Giotto who was staring at Tsuna in disbelief.

"Why did you follow him?" said Giotto, a disapproving look in his eyes, "That was dangerous, especially since you don't know where half the things are!"

"I got there just fine!" interrupted Tsuna as he tried to pacify the worried man, "If anything, it was Moldavite that was in danger."

Giotto narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"

The brunette ran a hand through his hair before he explained what had happened at the dock up until he returned to Charles' shop. This section seemed to faze the Vongola boss more so than the news of Moldavite and Silice, particularly at the mentioning of Rosario. By the end of Tsuna's narration, Giotto was simply leaning back into his chair, eyes closed.

"Now it makes sense." Tsuna frowned at the comment, but Giotto seemed to have heard the unasked question and continued, "Vetro would never willing come here unless some part of the business is doing poorly. I was surprised when Alaude reported that to me since things have been flourishing."

"What are you going to do now that you know?" asked Tsuna worriedly. No matter how he thought about it, the outcome of the meeting would surely lead to fighting.

"Well, I guess Vetro will finally be willing to talk. I was hoping that it wouldn't get to this degree," muttered Giotto with a tired sigh, massaging his eyes, "Moldavite is alright?"

"He should be fine," Tsuna nodded. "I don't think there were any permanent injuries. When I left, I was pretty sure that Vetro was the first to reach him, why?"

"If Moldavite had been killed, it was highly possible that Vetro would have made an immediate move," said Giotto grimly, "That would have ruined all the plans I've made so far, though most of them cannot be used now that Vetro is going to avidly go for it."

Tsuna frowned, "What do I do about the ring? Wouldn't it be of more use to you?"

Giotto shook his head, "I trust your judgment on when to use it, though I am still surprised that he would do such a thing," said the man thoughtfully, "Then again, he owes you a debt for saving his life."

Tsuna frowned before slipping it on the hand that was empty of rings and pulling on another pair of the butler-like gloves he found in the bag. He wasn't too sure how he felt about having someone in debt to him when he did not even belong to this era. Giotto, in the mean time, began pulling out a couple bulky folders from his drawer, "Do you want to attend?"

Tsuna gave a slight smile of surprise. "I have a choice?"

Giotto chuckled, "I will be having G and the rest there, so it'll be fine if you don't go."

Tsuna was torn at the decision, on one hand he wanted to observe what would happen but on the other hand, he wanted to just return to his room and sleep. Before he had a chance to voice his thoughts, they were interrupted by the entrance of G. The man was dressed neatly, making himself look all the more imposing. He spared a glance at Tsuna, particularly at the gloved hands before turning his attention towards Giotto.

"They are going to be here soon," said the red-haired man with a frown, "I told Jared, to ready the men, just in case. Alaude, Rampou, and Knuckle are all prepared and ready."

Giotto nodded, already moving to the door, "Very well. Tsuna, take the bag with you. The door will lock by itself when you leave. I think it is best if you retire for the night."

Tsuna opened his mouth to protest, but the door closed before he could even get his sentence out. He frowned at the abrupt exit before leaning into the couch. He was curious at what they would discuss, though he was sure that Giotto would probably give him a summary in the morning. But that did not make him worry any less for the Vongola Family. He could not help but wonder how Vetro would try to go about with this. He sighed before closing his eyes, similar to what Giotto done. But he was quickly jolted out of his by the sound of a sharp knock, almost falling off the couch.

He hastily got up only to answer the door, only to realize that he was not supposed to be here. A look at the clock showed that only ten minutes had elapsed since Giotto and G's departure. There was another knock before the door knob began moving. Tsuna widened his eyes in alarm; he was going to be found out. However, after a couple jiggles of the doorknob, it became evident to both the brunette and the knocker that the door was locked. After a few moments, there was the sound of clopping boots, gradually growing fainter down the hall.

Only when it was silent did Tsuna allow himself to collapse back into the couch in relief. He needed to leave before any more people decided to try getting into the room. He grabbed the bag that still hid his clothes and left the room silently, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

"My, my, so there was someone in there?" Tsuna instantly tensed, cursing his moment of carelessness. He should have known that he wouldn't get off easily. He turned slowly to the sound of the voice, coming face to face with a near exact replica of his mist guardian. Only this one had bangs and significantly shorter hair. He had aquamarine eyes that complimented his azure hair. The male was dressed in French military-like style clothe, though there was an air of aristocracy exuding from the man's frame. In his hand was a thin cane with a hooked handle.

"Are you that rumored advisor that Giotto, himself, chose?" pondered the man as he sized up the brunette before him. "Or are you the spy?"

Tsuna shook his head at the idea, "I'm the advisor. My name is Tsuna."

"Oh really?" said the male with a smirk. Tsuna gave a weak smile only to bite back a yelp of surprise when the cane was swiftly pointed at his neck. Somehow, the handle was flipped to a sharp blade with a dark liquid that could quite possibly be poison. Tsuna did not want to be the first to test it.

"How do I know for sure?" asked the man questioningly, an inexplicable smile on his face.

Tsuna opened his mouth to answer, only to close it once more as he realized something. He had no proof. All those times, he had been introduced by Giotto. Never did he actually receive anything to show to others that he was actually an advisor.

"Hmm? Why so silent? Could it be… that you are actually a spy? Should I just kill you?"

The brunette glared at the man, "I am Giotto's advisor. I do not need proof," said Tsuna confidently, though internally, he was anything but. Any slight movement on his part could ultimately lead him to his death, which he was not too keen on doing. He wouldn't put it past Reborn to simply go and bring him back just to kill him again for his stupidity.

The man stared at the brunette in mild surprise before smirking, "I like your attitude, boy."

Tsuna watched as he recapped the cane in one fluid motion before extending his hand out to the brunette, "My name is Daemon Spade. I am the Mist Guardian of Vongola."

Tsuna took the hand and nodded, "A pleasure, sir."

"I take it that he has already left," said Daemon with a slight frown, gesturing at the locked door.

"Yes, he went to the conference room," supplied Tsuna, "I believe that your presence would be needed…"

"And what about you, advisor?" asked the Mist guardian with a smirk, "Shouldn't one of, such high position, be there as well?"

Tsuna gave a smile that almost came out as a grimace, "Well, you see, Giotto,"

The Mist guardian chuckled before clasping the brunette's shoulder, "Nufufu, I think it's best that we both go… grace them with our presence."

"But," Began Tsuna with barely concealed panic, "I don't think that's a good idea."

Daemon tightened his hold on the male's shoulder, "Come now, if you are really an advisor, you should know how important it is to always stand behind your leader," lectured the male, practically forcing Tsuna to walk forward.

"We wouldn't want any… incidents to reoccur now do we?"

The brunette gave a small nervous laugh, as he reluctantly allowed himself to be led towards the conference room. He could not help but internally curse his situation. He just wanted to go back to his room and sleep. How hard was that?

* * *

I know I should probably be moving the plot along faster but I hope you enjoyed it, nevertheless.  
Feel free to leave a comment!  
And once again, enjoy your summer and don't get sunburned! : )


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